Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Dracken Memoirs	By : StarLightMassacre Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 40071 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 19
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter; all rights go to J. K. Rowling. I make no money for this piece of fictional writing and never will.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Part Three – The Dracken Family

Of course Harry had known that turning up at Hogwarts with yet another older lover would be hot gossip amongst the students, but it was overshadowed by the immediate mourning that the school had been plunged into on the very first evening back. All of the banners and tapestries in the Great Hall had been black, like they’d been for Cedric’s death three years previous.
After they had eaten their fill and the dishes had all vanished, Dumbledore had then stood up and told them why the hall was decorated in black. It had emerged then that Draco Malfoy had died just two days before the start of the new term after a short battle with an unspecified illness.
Of course Harry remembered how sickly Malfoy had looked, how his skin was more grey than its usual porcelain, how his usually perfect hair had been limp and lifeless looking and had been thinning almost by the day, receding back from his forehead and how he always looked clammy and tired. He remembered thinking back then that Malfoy looked sick, he remembered how he had reasoned that Lucius Malfoy wouldn’t let his son just die and Harry had brushed it off, but Malfoy had died.
He looked at Myron and Nasta and he frowned before looking back to the table top. He was sure that the elder Malfoys would have gotten help for their only son, so the only other explanation for Malfoy’s death was that he’d had something that was incurable, and obviously non-contagious as he’d still been in school while he was ill.

“What could have killed him that wasn’t curable?” Harry breathed to his mates under his breath, trying not to be disrespectful to Draco Malfoy’s mourning speech made by Dumbledore, but wanting to know what wasn’t actually curable in the wizarding world.

“Might have been Dragon Pox.” Nasta told him softly. “But it’s contagious and it wouldn’t have been allowed to run unchecked in a school…or at least it shouldn’t have been.”

“What’s Dragon Pox?” Harry asked.

Myron’s head about snapped to him and Nasta blinked in shock.

“You don’t know what Dragon Pox is?”

Harry shook his head. “Raised by Muggles, remember?”

“You haven’t been vaccinated?” Nasta asked him seriously.

Harry frowned and shook his head. “No. I haven’t had any vaccinations since I came to the wizarding world.”

“I’ll call Saint Mungos tomorrow, I’ll have them check your medical records, but you will be having a booster.” Myron said sternly.

Harry’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t even know if I need one!”

“If you can’t remember having one when you started school then you need a booster.” Myron said. “If you didn’t have them as a baby, then you’ll need a full course of vaccinations.”

“I’m sure my parents would have had me vaccinated.” Harry said quietly. “But they died when I was a year and three months old.”

“Then you missed your three and five year vaccinations and the booster when you were eleven.” Myron told him.

“Why didn’t anyone ask if I was vaccinated or question why I didn’t have the vaccination I needed when I was eleven?”

“Something I will most definitely be finding out.” Myron said with the bite of a growl to his voice. “They put you at risk, your health and your very life in danger. I won’t stand for it.”

“Does it hurt much?” He asked as nonchalantly as he could.

“A little, it burns more than it hurts, Harry. I have to have a booster every five years instead of every ten because I work closely with dragons.” Nasta told him.

“I don’t…I’ve never been vaccinated that I can remember, I’m a little nervous.”

“You weren’t even vaccinated for Muggle diseases?” Myron demanded in a harsh hiss.

Harry shook his head. “I told you they were neglectful. What, you thought that they didn’t feed me or give me proper clothes of my own to wear, but they’d go through the trouble to have me vaccinated?”

Myron lifted the corner of his lip in a snarl and Harry drew in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” He said, looking back at the table top. “I just don’t like thinking about it and I like talking about it even less. No, they never had me vaccinated.”

“We’ll sort this out for you.” Nasta insisted as Dumbledore wrapped up his speech and everyone was let off to go to bed.

Harry held onto Myron and Nasta’s hands as they made their way back to their private rooms.

“You’ll come with me though, won’t you? If I have to have these injections?” He asked nervously.

“Of course we will.” Myron replied immediately, even as Nasta let go of his hand and threw it around his shoulders instead.

“We will be right there with you, holding your hand, holding you on our laps, lying down with you…whatever you want to do, Cariad, but we will be there for you.”

Harry nodded. “I just don’t want…I don’t want to do it, but I will, I just don’t like it. I don’t want to be hurt.”

“Would it make you feel better if we got an evening appointment and after it’s done we will bring you back and tuck you up into bed to make you feel better afterwards?” Myron whispered to him, his breath making Harry’s hair flutter and his gut tighten.

“That depends, what would we be doing in the bed?” Harry asked with a soft chuckle.

“You know exactly what we would be doing in the bed.” Nasta told him, bending closer to his ear so that his breath tickled it.

“I like this idea much better now.” Harry said with a wide grin and a wink at his lovers.

“Oh, I bet you do.” Myron chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you to our rooms and then get you a nice cup of tea. We’ll get you into bed early and then tomorrow we’ll check your schedule against our own and see if we need to rearrange anything.”

Harry nodded placidly. “I have no objections to that plan, except maybe getting an early night, I can think of a hundred ways I’d rather spend our first night back.”

“I said we’d get you into bed early, I said nothing about sleeping.” Myron said with a smug smirk and Harry’s insides clenched and he hardened almost instantly.

“Oh, I definitely like that idea now. Come on, you two aren’t walking fast enough.” Harry said as he grabbed their hands and pulled his mates quicker behind him.

He was going to have a very, very good night, rechristen the bed several times as a welcome back present and then he was going to be forced head long into school work and studying and apparently having injections as well. It was going to be a very long year and it was only going to get worse once the baby came along and completed their family of four.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

It had been scheduled for today…his Dragon Pox vaccination that was. Myron had kept his word and the very next morning after they’d arrived at Hogwarts he had floo called Saint Mungos and he had gotten access to Harry’s medical records after proving that they were life partners and no, he didn’t want access to the records to have them copied and printed into the Daily Prophet.
Myron had found out that he had had his four primary jabs at one month old, at four months, nine months, and thirteen months old, but the booster jabs that he was supposed to have had at three and five years were missing and so was his booster jab at eleven years. He had been immediately booked in for an emergency booster jab for as soon as possible that was convenient with his school schedule. As soon as possible for Myron Maddison had turned out to be the very next weekend.
So Saturday morning found Harry dragged away from his usual lie in through nerves and a sick feeling of anticipation, forced to eat some toast washed down with honey tea and then forced to do his homework as Myron and Nasta watched him like some sort of weird TV programme.

“Will you stop watching me?!” He demanded. “I’m hardly going to run off the moment you turn away.”

His anger washed away and he almost laughed when Myron and Nasta looked at him with nearly identical expressions, the both of them with slight frowns and a raised eyebrow aimed at him.

“Still nervous about later?” Myron asked him.

Harry looked down, but he nodded.

“Come here.”

Harry crawled over to Myron and Nasta and he pulled himself up between them, only to be pulled onto Myron’s lap and cuddled tightly. Nasta bent forward and kissed him.

“We will be there with you.” Myron told him. “I know you’re nervous and don’t like the idea of this, but it will help keep you safe and healthy.”

“Myron’s right.” Nasta said cupping his face in his hands. “Once you have Dragon Pox, it’s already too late, Caru. The only defence against Dragon Pox is this vaccine and it’s too late to do anything about it once you already have Dragon Pox.”

“So…without the vaccine, if you get Dragon Pox, then it’s a death sentence?” Harry said with a horrified expression.

His mates both nodded so seriously that Harry swallowed and his heart missed a beat. If he hadn’t have mated to them…actually, no. If Draco Malfoy hadn’t died then Harry would never have asked about incurable diseases in the wizarding world and he might have died himself. All because no one had thought to bring him in for his needed jabs as a baby after his parents had died and no one had cared enough about him to give him his booster at eleven.

“If you have a few vaccines, but not all of them, then you have some protection, but you can be horribly disfigured by the disease and it can still lead to death, it’s better to be protected, love. You had all of your primary jabs, but not your boosters, so we’ll get you a booster now, maybe two to be sure, but at least then we can rest easy knowing that you’re protected.” Myron told him, rubbing his arm.

“It’s better than taking the chance that you’re going to get very sick, Harry.” Nasta told him softly, scooting over to rest against Myron, laying his head on his huge, broad shoulder and brushing his and Harry’s noses together. “Dragon Pox is a vicious disease. It’s a horrifically, painful way to die, Caru and I never want that for you or our children. I will do anything and everything I can to help you through this, I will do everything you ask, get you anything that you want, but I will not let you miss this vaccination.”

“I can even have chocolate?” Harry asked, perking up a little.

“Yes.” Nasta agreed. “For the entire of today and tomorrow if it makes you feel better.”

“It’s still going to be hurting tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’ll be bruised too, but I’ve already got ice in the cold storage ready and I’ll be sure to put some pressure on the injection site to keep the bruising down, you’ll be just fine.” Myron told him, his hand around Harry and stroking his thigh.

“You two had better be forthcoming with the kisses.” Harry sighed.

“You know that we will and you don’t even need an injection to get them.” Nasta said as he kissed him again, cupping the back of his head to keep them pressed together and kissing with rising passion.

“Now go and do your homework.” Nasta said as he pulled back after a final kiss.

“And just like that, my erection is killed.” Harry scowled.

His mates both laughed at him and Harry climbed off of Myron’s lap, walked to the coffee table and slumped down to start back on his Transfiguration work.

“I’ll get you a cup of tea.” Myron chuckled as he stood up, displaying his proud and lengthy erection that was straining at his trousers and made Harry groan and slam his head down onto the table.

“I hate you both.” He declared dramatically.

They just laughed at him.

“Did you get that because I was in your lap, or because Nasta and I were kissing?” Harry asked curiously.

“I would say from both, though I cannot deny that I enjoy watching you and Nasta kiss one another, I like watching you having sex too. I feel only compersion when I watch you and Nasta together because I love you both and seeing you displaying that love to one another, knowing as I do that you both love me too, is just a turn on for me.”

“Conperv-what?” Harry asked with a scrunched up, confused expression.

Myron and Nasta both started laughing at him again and Harry threw a shoe at the both of them, one each, and went back to his homework, stabbing his quill into his ink pot and starting where he had left off.

“Compersion, love.” Myron told him after he’d calmed down and he had set a cup of honey tea on the table by his hand. “I feel only happiness and joy when watching you and Nasta together. It’s essentially the complete opposite of jealousy. I get aroused watching you and Nasta together instead of possessive and angry.”

“You do?” Harry asked. “I feel the same way when I see you and Nasta together, only more.”

“More?” Nasta asked as he moved from the settee to sit by them on the floor. “Do tell.” He purred.

“I don’t just get aroused, I get hard to the point of pain and I get so turned on that sometimes I’m near orgasm, just from watching you both together.”

Harry realised the consequences of what he’d said when Myron and Nasta looked at one another and Myron’s falsely innocent, questioningly lilted ‘Oh?’ was followed by Nasta shifting closer to him and Myron’s hand cupping the back of Nasta’s neck and pulling him into a soft kiss, a teasing kiss as Nasta moved both hands to cup Myron’s jaw and then their tongues came out to play and Harry’s mouth went dry as his own tongue peeked out to lick at dry lips as he watched them both. He wanted to be there with them, between them. He wanted to be kissed like that too.
Myron embraced Nasta lovingly and Nasta happily allowed himself to be pulled onto Myron’s lap, he happily reclined backwards in Myron’s arms as their kisses became quicker and more impassioned, their mouths open and locked together in a furious kiss as they moved against one another in a sensual bump of bodies and mouths.
Harry whimpered softly and lowered a hand to palm himself through his trousers as his eyes remained glued to his two dominant mates wrapped around one another and snogging furiously.

“Why don’t you come over here and join us?” Myron asked him after he and Nasta broke apart to suck in huge lungfuls of air.

Harry didn’t need to be invited to join them twice. He shuffled over to them on his knees, moaning as the movement tugged on his trousers, which rubbed back and forth over his erection. He stopped and moaned, palming himself hard.
He was dragged into the mass of hot, hard bodies by Myron and he was squashed between them and kissed from either side, Myron claimed his mouth and Nasta went straight for his neck, sucking and biting him. Harry forced his leg between them so that his bum rubbed against Myron and he was straddling Nasta’s lap.

“Please.” He begged and his dominants did not need to be told twice either.

Myron immediately pulled Harry’s pyjama shirt off of him and Nasta took advantage of the newly bared skin, licking and biting down his neck and over his shoulder to the soft flesh by his armpit and then onto his chest.
Myron’s thumb and finger pinched one of Harry’s nipples gently before releasing it for Nasta to suck into his mouth and Harry breathed raggedly, resting his head back against Myron and absorbing the love and attention being lavished upon him and his body. His baby belly was given very soft, particular attention and it made him smile and drag his nails gently over Nasta’s scalp. He saw the pleasured goosebumps erupt over Nasta’s body at the move and he repeated it, moving his hand to the side to reach the sensitive skin behind Nasta’s ear and his mate moaned softly.
Nasta murmured in Welsh and Harry’s gut clenched. He had no idea what Nasta had said, but he didn’t need to. Nasta’s intention was clear as he looked at him with those burning, hazel, green-gold eyes. His hands slid down Harry’s chest, to the waistband of his pyjama bottoms and Nasta tugged them off easily, leaving Harry in his boxer-briefs which did very little to hinder or hide his throbbing erection.

“I need you.” Harry declared softly as a hand, he didn’t know or care whose, brushed against the bulge in the front of his boxer-briefs.

Myron kissed his cheek and jaw and Nasta bent forward to kiss his mouth. It sent Harry’s pulse racing and he moaned quietly.

“Please.” He breathed, reaching out clumsy hands for Nasta.

“I think he deserves a distraction, Myron.” Nasta said with a smile before he carefully, and torturously slowly, pulled Harry’s boxer-briefs down his legs, slipping them first off of one ankle and then the other.

Nasta threw his underwear away, his eyes glued to Harry, as he bent down and kissed and nibbled his way back up his legs.

“Oh!” Harry moaned softly, his breath hitching as Nasta found a particularly sensitive patch of skin on his inside thigh.

Myron had had enough of remaining idle. Harry could feel his cock poking into his lower back every time he squirmed from Nasta’s attentions and he knew that he was inadvertently driving Myron mad with the soft, teasing brushes.
His huge mate shifted and moved from behind him, causing Harry to topple backwards, but he needn’t have worried, he was caught in huge, strong hands and was lowered down to the floor gently where Myron fell on his mouth and kissed him deeply.
Nasta reached the very top of Harry’s thigh with his kisses, his scratchy stubble adding to Harry’s pleasure as it rubbed across his sensitive skin. Nasta moved over his hips to his belly with his lips and tongue and Harry twitched on the floor, making a soft sound into Myron’s mouth.
He had to rip his mouth away and cry out, his back bowing up into Myron as Nasta took his cock into his mouth with no preamble, no warning, not even a kiss to hint at his mate’s next move. He had gone straight from his belly to swallowing his cock and the surge of pleasure had Harry arching from the floor and reaching out for Myron, who had leant back on his elbow and he was watching Nasta swallow him down with an intent, piercing interest. His one hand fell to his own lap and with his thumb, he popped open the button on his trousers and slipped his hand inside.
Harry moaned and he turned his attention to Nasta after a particularly hard suck. Nasta was watching him and he’d wanted Harry’s attention on him as he shifted slightly, changing the angle of his mouth and chin and suddenly, Harry could see his own cock slipping in and out of Nasta’s mouth and he cried out and bucked his hips into Nasta’s mouth, relishing the warm, wet suction around him. He was panting, unable to catch a significant breath as his pleasure rose.
Myron moved and Harry shifted his attention back to his massive mate, who stood up and left. Harry cried out in anguish as he watched Myron move away from him and he let out a distressed trill, trying to call his mate back to him.
Nasta popped off of his cock and climbed over his body to kiss him, holding him and reassuring him gently.

“He’s gone to get lube, Cariad. He’s coming back.” Nasta told him, his voice rough and raw from sucking cock and Harry shivered, his pupils blowing wide as he knew that it was sucking his cock that had made Nasta’s voice so rough and deep.

“Kiss me.” He demanded and Nasta fell back to his mouth, kissing him deeply and thoroughly.

A large hand on his leg had him blinking. It took him several moments to realise that both of Nasta’s hands were cupping either side of his face. He broke the kiss and twisted to the side to look down by his legs, past Nasta’s beautiful body, to where Myron was caressing his thighs with his fingertips, teasing him and Harry moaned deep in his throat at the sensation.
Nasta slipped off of him and pulled off his own shirt, Harry licked his lips at the view and he stared happily at the bared skin.
Nasta was paler than Harry was, despite how long he spent outside while shirtless. He worked on a dragon reserve in Wales though, so he wasn’t exposed to too much sun outside of the summer months. As a result he was naturally paler than him, but Harry still stared happily as he moved his hands lower to remove his jeans.
A soft stroke with a fingertip from his tailbone to the base of his ballsac distracted him and forced him to moan breathily. It made him shudder with pleasure and he immediately turned to Myron, who was smirking at him.

“That’s not fair. I can’t look at you both.” He complained, looking back to Nasta, now stripped down to his own boxer-briefs.

His mates’ chuckled at him and Myron showed no sympathy and no mercy as he stroked the exact same path over Harry with his one finger. Harry moaned as the sensation made his thighs shake, even as he watched Nasta cup himself through his underwear.
His breathing came faster as Myron stroked, again and again, that exact same path from his tailbone, over his hole and perineum and ending with a nudge to his balls, before he slowly pressed his finger inside Harry’s body. He cried out at the sensation and his legs fell open, making more room for Myron to work with, opening himself up further and he heard an answering growl of lust from Myron.
Nasta was back to touching him then, bending to nip and suck at his sensitive, untouched nipples and it made Harry moan louder, his hands slipping through Nasta’s hair and tugging in mindless pleasure.
Myron prepared him slowly and gently as Nasta kissed and teased him, biting gently at his neck and sucking hard to leave marks.

“Too much!” He cried out when Myron had three fingers buried inside him and Nasta was licking a path around his belly button, sometimes catching the tip of his cock with the tip of his tongue. “Too much teasing, please.”

The two of them chuckled in a deeply masculine way, but Harry shook his head, almost near tears from the frustration of their teasing. “Please!”

“He’s had enough.” Nasta insisted seriously, though he was still smiling in a smug way.

Myron nodded and pulled his fingers free. Harry gasped at the sudden loss of the stretching and his hips rolled into the air, almost without his own control, as he tried to find the fullness he’d had moments ago.
Nasta lay fully on top of him and kissed his mouth. Harry moaned into the kiss. He could feel Nasta shifting his hips, his lower body, trying to line up to the entrance to his body and it excited him, tightened things low in his body and he started panting softly again, waiting, wanting.
Nasta pushed into him in one smooth, fluid thrust and Harry dropped his head back with a soft sound of pleasure as he clenched tightly around Nasta’s cock.

“That feels amazing.” Nasta groaned happily.

“Yes!” Harry screamed in agreement, speech almost beyond him as he looped his arms around Nasta’s neck and shoved his fingers into that thick, black hair.

Nasta moaned deeply, his hips almost snapping forward into Harry’s body and his eyes kept fluttering. Harry couldn’t see what was happening, but he had a feeling that Myron was not being passive or idle and as he wasn’t touching him, he had to be touching Nasta and if his reaction was anything to go by, whatever Myron was doing, it was phenomenal.
Nasta started babbling almost exclusively in Welsh and Harry had to look to see what was happening. He grabbed at Nasta’s shoulders and hefted himself up and to the side so that he could see down the back of Nasta’s body. What he saw had him falling back to the floor with a pleasured gasp and his cock throbbing with a surge of arousal. Myron was laying on his stomach, his face between Nasta’s legs and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Myron was rimming Nasta as he fucked Harry.
His back arched and he moaned, almost working himself up to a scream as the image of what Myron was doing was stuck on an endless loop in his mind, coupled with the pleasure that Nasta was bringing to him as he rolled his hips again and again, his pleasure surging higher between the tight heat of Harry’s body on his cock and Myron’s mouth and tongue on his arse and hole.
Harry’s orgasm built inside him, higher and higher with every thrust, with every slight pass Nasta made over his prostate, with every touch to his body and he threw his head back as from one stroke to the next, he was thrown over the edge of his pleasure threshold and he orgasmed hard.
He tightened around Nasta and then his muscles fluttered and clenched randomly as Harry rode the waves of his pleasure and lost in his own orgasm, he brought Nasta too, who also had a talented tongue licking into his body and Harry clenching tight around his cock, milking him, forcing him into orgasm as well.
He collapsed gently on top of Harry, holding his full weight off of him with shaky arms, at least until Myron carefully moved him to the side and Nasta groaned as he was removed from Harry’s heat and Harry moaned at the loss.

“You look stunning like this.” Myron breathed deeply, his eyes tracking every inch of Harry’s body as if committing him to memory.

“Please.” Harry begged, rolling his hips up, his soft cock twitching with interest at the look in Myron’s eyes as he looked down at him and watched him writhing on the floor on his back. Harry really liked seeing the heat in those black eyes.

Myron lifted Harry’s shoulders and rolled him over onto his knees. Harry put his hands down to brace himself and he knew what Myron wanted as he lowered his chest to the floor, being mindful of his baby bump.
He heard a soft growl, right before Myron pressed into him, slowly and carefully. Easing into him and not just shoving in uncaringly. Harry moaned at the lingering, drawn out sensation and he let his head loll down onto his folded arms, just feeling as Myron took over completely.
Myron’s hands touched him everywhere, his shoulders, his sides, over his bump and his hips. One hand cupped his bum cheek and the other reached around to pinch his nipple with a bite of pressure that had Harry crying out and pushing back onto Myron. It made his huge mate laugh as he pulled out and thrust back in.
Harry grunted as he was shunted across the floor and he braced himself harder on his arms, leaning back more, getting ready for the next thrust. He rocked forward with it and then shoved himself back and it made Myron groan with pleasure, even as it almost rolled Harry’s eyes back into his head.
Nasta moved to mirror Harry’s position, only in front of him and when he bent forward for a kiss, Harry all but melted into his embrace. He locked his legs and with Nasta’s strong hands on his shoulders to keep him from getting carpet burns all over his knees, Harry was able to rock with Myron’s thrusts while kissing Nasta with a lot of tongue.
Myron’s one hand left his hip, where he’d been pulling Harry back to meet his thrusts forcibly, and it slipped around his belly to grasp his hard, leaking cock and he tugged on it and Harry screamed.
Myron had been close from watching Harry and Nasta together, not to mention the pleasure he got from teasing Nasta, and it did not take him long before his thrusts were coming harder and more uncontrolled as he chased his orgasm.
Harry threw himself into the kiss with Nasta as that hand on his cock squeezed and then tugged hard and he was helpless against the rush of pleasure it gave him as he screamed into Nasta’s mouth, spilling himself over Myron’s hand.
Myron did not last out under the squeezing, clenching tightness of Harry’s orgasm and he spilled deeply into Harry’s body. He roared like a wild beast as his orgasm crashed into him and he shifted both hands to Harry’s hips, pulling him back hard so that he was pressed into him as deeply as he could possibly manage as he filled his submissive mate with his cum.
He fell to the side so that he didn’t crush Harry and his mate just slumped to the floor, caught by Nasta and laid down gently. Nasta chuckled at them both and he moved Harry’s absolute mess of hair to kiss his forehead and then he bent over to kiss Myron too and the older man smiled. It was nice to have a submissive and a subordinate who loved him. It was so easy for him to love these two men.
He hefted himself up and he went to the bathroom through their bedroom and he washed and dried himself off before wetting a flannel and taking it back out to the living room cum kitchenette to clean off Nasta and Harry. They had a busy day today and he declared Harry sufficiently distracted as he saw that Harry was stretched out and practically boneless on the carpet, drifting close to sleep.

Harry luxuriated, completely naked, on the floor as Myron cleaned off his body with a warm, damp cloth. He was so relaxed and he was sleepy and very, very content right where he was.

“Don’t lie on your front, Harry.” Myron rumbled deeply, even as he swiped up the backs and sides of his thighs for him with the damp, warm flannel.

Harry hummed from where he was lying face down, his head resting in his folded arms, practically asleep in the glow of the aftermath of really, really good sex.

“I don’t think him lying on his front will harm the baby.” Nasta said calmly.

“Do you know that for sure?” Myron demanded.

“It’s not hurting the baby.” Harry told them sleepily. “I barely have a bump. Even if I was heavily pregnant it wouldn’t hurt the baby, though it would probably be very uncomfortable because my arms wouldn’t touch the floor, I’d feel like a fallen T-rex…or like I was rolling on a space hopper.”

Nasta laughed first and touched his head playing with his hair and after a moment, Harry felt Myron’s hand splay out over his back.

“If you’re sure.” His older, larger mate grunted.

“I am. I have all sorts of baby development books. Sex won’t hurt the baby, as you already know, and neither will lying face down. It’ll just be uncomfortable when I’m heavier pregnant.”

Myron squeezed his bum and Harry grinned and rolled over onto his back, completely unconcerned that he was still completely naked.
Nasta went back to petting his hair and Harry made a soft sound of happiness. As Nasta carried on, Harry started purring before he rolled over onto his front again, putting his head into Nasta’s lap.

“How are you feeling?” Nasta asked him.

“Sleepy.” He said with a smile. “Sleepy and sated.”

Harry stayed on Nasta’s lap for a while, dozing in and out lightly. At least until Myron picked him up and sat at the table with him on his lap.
He groaned and wriggled around, stretching out before forcing his eyelids open to peer around their room.

“Was going on?” He slurred.

“It’s dinner time, we’re getting you dressed so you can eat something before your appointment.”

“You just had to mention that last bit.” Harry moaned, his heart missing a beat as he realised that it was almost time for his injection.

“You’re going to be fine.” Nasta assured him, taking hold of his hand and squeezing.

Harry nodded, but all of a sudden his mouth felt really dry and it took him two attempts to swallow. He was dressed by his mates, which did make him glare at them, but they just ignored him.
He walked down to the Great Hall, hand in hand with Myron and Nasta and they settled down at the very end of the Gryffindor table. Harry picked at his food, but he didn’t really eat anything. He was too nervous to be hungry. Myron and Nasta tried to prod him into eating more, but everything tasted like sawdust, as if he was chewing on a dirty carpet, and he had to give up and just try to keep his breathing steady.

“It’s not going to be so bad.” Nasta told him quietly. “I promise.”

Harry sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans.

“I know, it’s just…I’ve never had an injection before, or rather none that I remember, so I don’t really know what to expect. It makes it all seem worse.”

“We’ll be with you for every single moment of it.” Myron told him, taking his hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss it.

Harry nodded and took a breath. When Nasta and Myron had finished eating and it was time to go to the hospital, he felt sick with nerves. It was almost like he was facing the Hungarian Horntail again in the Tri-Wizard tournament. In fact, facing the dragon again was preferable to this, though he doubted his mates would agree with him on that one.
They’d gotten the Headmaster’s permission to use his fireplace to floo to and from the hospital and they made their way up to the seventh floor, Harry dragging his heels slightly, forcing Nasta and Myron to shorten their own strides to match his slow pace. He took the staircases incredibly slowly, putting both feet on the same step every time he climbed and overall it took an age for them to reach the stone gargoyle in front of Dumbledore’s office.
All too soon, much too soon for Harry, the three of them had flooed into Saint Mungo’s hospital and Harry stuck so close to Nasta and Myron when they arrived that he felt like their son, not their lover.

“You’re fine.” Nasta told him, letting go of his hand and putting it around his shoulders instead as Myron stood in line to confirm that they were there for an appointment. Despite how slowly Harry had walked, they had still arrived well in time. He was sure that his mates had known that he was going to drag his heels and had left Hogwarts slightly earlier than they’d needed to in order to arrive before his appointment time.

Nasta led him over to the rows of plastic chairs and he eased Harry down when all he wanted to do was leap up and pace back and forth. Myron joined them and they sat in the little chairs in the waiting room and Harry focused more on breathing in and out calmly. He needed to think of his baby too, he couldn’t get too stressed or worked up.
He had Nasta’s hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently, but firmly, trying to calm him and Myron’s hand was on his lower back, soothing him and comforting him. It was working too, at least until his name was called out and he felt like turning tail and running.
He didn’t though, he took a deep breath, he stood up and he walked purposefully towards the healer, determined to see this through, almost forgetting to wait for his two dominants, who soon caught up to him with their longer strides from those powerful legs. Harry really liked those powerful legs.

“Hello, I’m Healer Nasser. I am head of vaccinations at Saint Mungo’s.” The brond haired man introduced himself with a smile, his kind grey eyes already working to put Harry at ease.

“I’m Harry and these are my lovers, Nasta and Myron.”

“I had the pleasure of a floo call with Mister Maddison.” Healer Nasser said with a smile and a familiar nod to Myron. “Now, I’m told that you had all of your infant injections, but none of your boosters after the age of thirteen months old.”

Harry nodded.

“He’s a little nervous.” Nasta told the healer as Harry refused to say anything.

“I’m not surprised, not having had any vaccines that he remembers, it’s only natural to be nervous about such things.” The healer said kindly. “Now Harry, do you want a check-up first, or do you just want the vaccine over first?”

“Vaccine.” Harry said quietly and when Healer Nasser patted the examination bed, Myron helped him sit on it and Nasta distracted him away from the healer readying the needle.

Not knowing how he was going to react to the vaccine, everything was a lot more worrying and nerve wracking than it should have been, so when Healer Nasser warned him not to move and he felt the needle slide into his upper arm, his breathing hitched and he clutched at Nasta tightly.
The actual vaccine felt like acid travelling through his veins and his entire right arm went numb and his fingers tingled as if they’d all fallen asleep.
It was painful and he couldn’t ever imagine giving this sort of pain to his own children. He’d feel like a monster for putting his children through this, but the alternative was gambling with their very lives, putting them at risk from a horrible, painful and slowly lingering death. He couldn’t do that either, the thought of opening his children to such a risk from such diseases made him want to vomit.
He was slightly dazed and confused as Myron helped him to stand up and then Healer Nasser was giving him instructions and he was led through having his height and his weight checked.

“Harry, you are underweight for your height and age.” Healer Nasser told him concernedly as he read the numbers and marked them down for Harry’s file.

Harry just nodded, still dazed and feeling very muddled and slow.

“Your notes say that you’re pregnant too?”

Harry nodded again. “I’m almost three months.”

“Three months?! Harry, you should know that this weight when you’re three months pregnant is not acceptable. Do you have any sort of eating disorder?”

Harry shook his head. “No, of course not. I…my home life wasn’t…it wasn’t exactly the greatest.”

Healer Nasser looked truly aghast. “Are you saying that you were abused as a child?!”

“I assume that your oath will keep you from revealing this confidential information.” Myron growled.

“Of course, of course! But…Harry, have you seen a professional for any of this?”

“I don’t want to. I just want to forget about it.”

“Burying your head in the sand is not going to make it go away.” The healer told him sternly.

Harry didn’t answer and Healer Nasser sighed.

“I would hope that now that you’re pregnant that you’re eating more?”

“He is.” Nasta defended, holding Harry around the waist. “He’s eating fine, even more than usual. But the damage has already been done and it will not be fixed overnight, I believe you’ll agree.”

Healer Nasser nodded. “Of course, as long as you’re eating healthily, you’ll be fine, but as a precaution, I’m going to prescribe you several potions that are going to help you and support your pregnancy, Harry.”

“We’ll make sure that he takes them.” Myron insisted.

The healer nodded and wrote out a form for them. “Take this to your nearest clinic and they’ll give you the potions you need.”

Myron took the form, thanked the healer and then his two mates led him back out of the examination room, Harry clutching his arm, feeling close to tears at how painful it felt as the vaccine raced around his body, searing every part that it reached with a new agony.
Nasta took him back to Hogwarts, while Myron Apparated to a clinic to get the potions that he needed. Harry’s knees went when he tried to land and he was lucky that Nasta had flooed with him and had been ready to catch him when he inevitably fell on the other side.
Harry couldn’t get his shaky, jelly like legs back under him, so he instead turned to Nasta and wrapped his arms around his neck, allowing his mate to pick him up and carry him back to their rooms.

“Are you feeling alright?” Nasta asked him once they were in the privacy of their own rooms.

“Not really.” Harry answered. “It’s hurting my entire body. How are we supposed to put our babies through this! Their first vaccine is at only a month old!”

“The one month dosage isn’t as strong.” Nasta told him as he sat on the settee and cuddle him. “It’s not as much vaccine either, so the pain you’re feeling now is not what they’ll be feeling when they get their first jab.”

Harry was relieved at that as it felt like someone had beaten his right arm with a club made of solid stone and his blood was still burning. He felt feverish.

“I feel too hot.” He told his mate.

Nasta’s cool hand on his forehead felt like bliss and he pushed his head into that hand and groaned happily.

“You’re a little feverish. It’s unsurprising given that this was your first booster in sixteen years. Let’s get you settled down and I’ll make you some tea, you like it sweetened with honey, don’t you?”

Harry nodded as he was laid down on the settee and he curled up around his aching body.
Nasta sorted him out with tea and gave him all the comfort he needed, sitting beside him and letting Harry rest on him. He kept pushing his wonderfully cool hand into his forehead too, swapping hands as one became too hot from prolonged contact with Harry’s head.
Harry must have dozed off because when he next woke up, it was dark and Nasta was no longer next to him and Myron was home. He could hear the two of them talking about work things.
He groaned and as soon as he moved, he became aware of the pounding in his head and the pain ripping through his body. He forced himself up, just as Myron and Nasta reached him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Pain.” Harry answered in a slur, putting one hand to his head.

“Headache?” Nasta asked and Harry nodded minimally. “Your fever is quite high, so I would expect you to have a headache. Myron has some potions for you, they’ll make you feel better.”

“Take…take now?” He asked, his head pounding so hard now that he was sat up that it was taking all of his focus.

Myron looked at the instructions that the medi-wizard had given him when he’d handed over the prescription, even though he’d all but memorised it since he got home, and he handed Nasta the first potion to feed to Harry.
Harry drained back the small bottle of a gloopy, blue coloured potion in one go and grimaced and turned his head to the side in utter disgust.

“This one too.” Nasta encouraged as he took the second opened vial from Myron.

Harry again drained it in one and handed back the empty vial, poking out his tongue and trying not to taste anything as he was sure that that one would have made him vomit if he’d had to smell it.

“Last one, Cariad.” Nasta encouraged, holding out a yellow potion.

Despite its cheerful, pleasant colour, it was just as vile as the rest of the potions and Harry heaved. The second potion had definitely been the worst one, but none of them were entirely pleasant.

“There we go, all gone.” Nasta soothed, stroking his hair and back as Myron made them tea. “You can have this tea now and then get yourself to bed. You’ve had a bit of a nap, but I bet you’re still tired.”

Harry nodded. “I am and my arm really, really hurts.”

“We’ve compressed it with ice while you were asleep, but it will hurt for a while yet.” Myron told him as he brought over the three mugs and handed one to Harry.

Harry held the mug with his good arm, as his other arm really seemed shaky and numb and he had little control over his own hand. It seemed safer to him to hold it with his good hand.
He sipped at the honeyed tea, but he felt slightly ill and he couldn’t finish more than half of the mug before he had to put it down or risk vomiting.

“Come here.” Nasta said softly, pulling Harry to lay against his chest as Nasta lay down himself, stroking his back and snuggling Harry’s head under his chin. One hand, the one not on his back, went into his hair and stroked his scalp so wonderfully well that he got goosebumps from it.

“Just calm your breathing now.” Myron coached, Nasta’s legs in his lap, thus Harry’s legs were in his lap too. “Breathe slowly, try not to think too hard and just rest.”

Harry nodded and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing in his arm and the pain that seemed to be coming from his very blood as it rushed around every inch of his body. He didn’t feel like sex, he didn’t feel like doing anything other than laying right here and feeling sorry for himself.
At least until Myron’s large, warm hands pulled off his socks and started massaging his feet and toes. He groaned at the wonderful, delicious pressure and touch he was receiving and he settled back down on Nasta’s chest to enjoy the treat. He didn’t even remember falling asleep or being carried to bed by Nasta an hour later.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Harry woke up late the next morning and it was due to the pain in his arm…the arm that he was lying on. Cursing, he moved off of it quickly and checked the arm. It was bruised black and blue all around the injection site and it was shocking to see what one single injection, from a tiny, fine needle at that, had done this to his body.
Getting out of the bed, as there was no way he could drift back off or doze now that his arm had woken him up, he went to the en suite bathroom to have a morning piss. He skipped the shower for now, he really wasn’t feeling up to it and he instead went in search of his mates out in the living room.

“Are you feeling alright?” Nasta asked him as soon as he saw him.

Myron immediately turned to look at him, but he was moving out of his chair before he’d even seen him and it made Harry smile as his top dominant came to the doorway to collect him, steering him to a chair.

“You need to take some potions. Nasta, get him some tea.” Myron said softly. Not ordering, but more requesting firmly. Nasta immediately moved to the kitchenette to make Harry tea.

Myron inspected Harry’s arm without touching it and he sighed, moving to get some ice from the cold storage.

“This has bruised more badly than I expected.” He said as Nasta placed a cup in front of Harry.

Harry picked it up with his other arm and drank down several sips, blowing on the hot tea to cool it slightly first.

“Does it hurt?” Nasta asked him.

“It doesn’t now, I was lying on it when I woke up though. That hurt.”

Myron pushed a few vials of potion towards him and Harry sighed, putting down his cup and unscrewing the tops off of the bottles and draining them one by one, trying not to vomit them back up as he picked up his tea again and gulped it down, washing away the vile taste.

“How long do I have to take those for?” He asked grumpily.

“You only have two more vials of the dark yellow potion to take now, one for lunchtime and then again at dinnertime. The other two potions you’ll be taking for the duration of your pregnancy.” Myron told him. “To support our baby.”

Harry sighed, but he said nothing to that. What could he say about it truly? He wanted his baby to be as healthy as possible, and the only way to do that was to take the potions that would make him healthier.

“Those others, they’re once a day?” He asked hopefully.

“The two others are once a day, with breakfast.” Myron confirmed.

Harry nodded, much happier about that. Taking two potions in the morning every day didn’t seem too bad considering how bad things could have been.

“Breakfast will be served soon, do you want to head down or just stay here?” Nasta asked him.

“I am hungry.” Harry said with a small smile.

That made both of his mates smile back at him, proud and happy that he was hungry and willing to eat, especially after the rather alarming shock that the healer had expressed yesterday.

“Come on then, go and get dressed and we can go and eat.”

Harry did as he was told, though it was difficult to manoeuvre his arm, and he hissed through his teeth as he caught his shirt sleeve against the bruise.
He had to keep repeating to himself what he’d been told about Dragon Pox. It was fatal unless you had been vaccinated. It was a death sentence if you contracted the disease. He didn’t want to die, or get sick.
The three of them made it down for breakfast, and Harry happily loaded up his plate and started eating. Despite the pain in his arm, he was very hungry.
He didn’t notice his mates watching him with smiles as he ate such a large plate.

“Have you finished all of your homework?” Myron asked him.

Harry nodded, drinking some pumpkin juice. He picked up an apple and bit into it, glad that it was Sunday, and he didn’t have lessons. His arm was aching just from eating.

“Maybe a walk outside?” Nasta suggested. “It’s still warm out.”

Harry perked up at that. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“Eat your apple then.” Nasta encouraged, smiling as Harry took a bigger bite.

The three of them finished eating and drinking, and then hand in hand, they left the castle. Harry inhaled deeply as he reached the open air, and he just felt so much better, for reasons he couldn’t even name.
He took his mates down to the lake, and he started skipping stones. It was so peaceful out here, just them, no staring or nasty whispers. He felt like he could relax, like he could be himself. This had been a good idea, and he turned to Nasta, who was sat under a tree, and he kissed him, plopping down into his mate’s lap.

“Are you okay?” Nasta asked him concernedly.

“Of course.” Harry told him. “I just like being out here, is all.”

Nasta wrapped his arms around him, and laid his hands on Harry’s bump, holding them both while he nuzzled Harry’s neck.
Myron moved over so that he could wrap an arm around them too, and Harry sighed happily, craning his head back to look at the cloudy sky. It was early September, it wasn’t cold, but it was overcast and cloudy. He didn’t really mind, it was the peace and quiet that he enjoyed the most.
He wished that he didn’t even have to come back to school, but his mates had firmly insisted that he get an education, just in case he wanted a job later in life. He didn’t see how he’d need one, not with Myron owning his own company and bringing in so much money, and Nasta rapidly moving up the ranks on the dragon reserve, and earning his fair share. Harry was going to have his damn hands full with a million babies, he didn’t want to have to juggle the responsibilities of a career as well.

“What are you thinking?” Myron asked him curiously.

Harry hummed and looked at him.

“You’re frowning, what are you thinking of?” Myron repeated.

Harry grunted. “Only that I don’t really want to be here.”

“We can go back to our rooms if you’d like.” Nasta told him.

Harry snorted a laugh. “Not here, as in right here.” Harry said, turning back to grin at him. “I meant here in general. I didn’t want to come back to school.”

“You need to finish your education.” Myron said immediately, in that firm tone that promised that if Harry went up against him on this issue then he would lose.

“So you’ve said.” Harry replied. “But I don’t see the point, this little one will be here in the New Year.” He said, laying his hand over his bump. “How am I going to have time to raise our baby properly if I’m distracted by lessons and exams? I don’t want that.”

“I can take the time off from work. I will be raising our baby until you graduate. You don’t have to worry about the baby.”

“I do though!” Harry said angrily. “I want to look after my own baby, Myron. I don’t want to just…to just ignore them because I have lessons, or an essay due! This isn’t what I want for myself. My family is more important to me. My baby is more important to me than school.”

Myron sighed heavily and laid a hand on his neck.

“I understand your concern, Harry. I don’t want you to feel like we’re ignoring you, or brushing your feelings aside, that isn’t what we’re trying to do, but you need to finish your compulsory education at a minimum.”

“It’s compulsory for a reason.” Nasta told him gently, giving his belly a soft rub.

“But, I just don’t see the point.” Harry said angrily.

“Perhaps not now, but what about when you’re a hundred, two hundred?” Myron asked him. “It might seem like such a long time away, but when we’re done having babies of our own, and they’re leaving the nest to start their own lives, wouldn’t you like to have something to fall back on? Maybe at that point in your life you would want a job, or a career.”

“Drackens are a very long lived species, after all.” Nasta put in. “We could live to be three hundred, maybe even three hundred and fifty years old. That’s twice as long as our fertile years. Maybe once you’re done taking such good care of our babies, maybe you would quite fancy a career and several hobbies.”

Harry chewed his lip as he considered that. When it was put like that, then yeah, he could understand why it would be important to finish his education now, ready for his later years when he was done having children, and he started getting bored.

He groaned theatrically. “Okay, fine, but I’m not happy about not being able to take care of our first baby properly, like I want to.”

“I promise I’ll look after the baby properly.” Myron told him.

“I trust you, it’s just…I want to do myself.” Harry said sadly. “I don’t want to miss out on those early months of my first child’s life.”

“You won’t miss out.” Nasta told him. “You’ll be coming back to the room every afternoon. You’ll get to spend your evenings and nights with the baby. It won’t be for very long either.”

“What if I miss something?” Harry voiced his biggest fear. “What if I miss a milestone because I’m in lessons, or an exam?”

“We’ll take photos for you.” Myron told him. “You won’t miss much.”

Harry sighed and nodded. That was the best he was going to get. No one could promise that he wouldn’t miss anything. It was unrealistic. There might be something that he missed, but he was just going to have to accept it, no matter how upset it made him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Harry really hated Halloween. He couldn’t even imagine what his life would have been like if he still had his parents, because he’d never known them, and he had no memories to base anything off. Of course, they had saved him, and given their lives for him, he understood that, but it still didn’t really help him visualise himself having that sort of stable, loving home.
Halloween wasn’t really the joyous celebration that the other students looked forward to and enjoyed. It never had been. Even before Hogwarts he’d never been allowed to dress up, or go trick-or-treating with Dudley. He’d always been locked in his cupboard while the Dursleys went out each year, and he’d had to sit and watch Dudley eating a carrier bag’s worth of chocolate and sweets for the next few days.
Back then he’d been simmering in jealousy and envy, wondering why he couldn’t dress up, or have sweets, or go to parties. That was before he’d learnt that his parents had been murdered on Halloween night. The night that had changed his life forever.

“Harry, you’re looking upset and angry, are you feeling okay? Is it baby?” Nasta asked him.

Harry looked up at Nasta, shook his head, and then looked back down at his hands.
He was going to keep to his own little ritual and he would eat his dinner in his room and then look through his photo album. He’d been doing it since his second year at Hogwarts and he would forever be grateful to Hagrid for giving him the pictures of his parents. The only pictures of them that he had.

“What is it?” Myron asked, coming to sit beside him, wrapping a large arm around him.

Harry turned and snuggled in, feeling Nasta’s hands on his knees, a thumb was rubbing soothingly at his leg.

“Something is definitely wrong, Harry. Please tell us.”

“I hate Halloween.” He said quietly.

“Ah.” Myron said, suddenly understanding everything in one moment of clarity. “Of course you do.”

It took Nasta just a moment longer, then his eyes widened.

“Do you do anything for them?” Nasta asked him gently.

Harry shook his head. “Not as such. I just…normally I go to the kitchens to eat because it’s quieter, and then I’d stay in bed and look at photos of them. I’ve never celebrated Halloween. I don’t want to start now, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“Do you want us to stay with you, or would you prefer to be on your own?”

Harry chewed his lip, and he thought about it.

“I think I’d like to be alone, if that’s okay. It’s always been a rather…private thing for me, a way for me to mourn in my own company. It’s not that I don’t want you there. I mean I…”

“Harry.” Nasta interrupted, reaching up to cup his face. “If you want to mourn privately, you don’t need to explain your reasoning to us. Grief is a very private thing, and you have clearly made your own routine around it. We respect that.”

Harry smiled, and he relaxed a little. “Thank you for understanding.”

“We understand.” Myron assured him.

“I can get us food.” Nasta told him. “I’ll go and grab us some plates from the Great Hall.”

“We’ll stay out here for you, until you’re ready to let us back into the bedroom.”

Harry shook his head. “Come to bed when you’re tired. I usually cry myself to sleep anyway. It doesn’t usually take that long. I’ll be out by half nine.”

“I really don’t like hearing that you cry yourself to sleep, Harry.”

“It’s needed.” Harry told them both, looking up at them. “I need to grieve. Due to how I lost them, I’m always going to need to grieve. Until I was eleven, I was told they’d died in a car crash. I didn’t even know how they’d died, and pretty much everyone in the wizarding world did, and that….affected me I guess. Having everyone come up to you, acting like they know you and your story, it affects me. I need this time to myself.”

Nasta moved, and he kissed Harry, before standing. “I’ll get us dinner, so that you can grieve in your own way, in peace.”

Harry smiled and curled back into Myron.

“We’ll look after you, always.” Myron told him.

“Thank you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. People to love me, a family of my own. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and I’ve never had it until now.”

Myron held him tight and close, just touching him, murmuring words of love to him now and then, as they waited for Nasta to come back.
His baby would never know a life like his, he swore it, as his hands covered his bump and rubbed gently. His baby, all of his babies, were going to have him, and two fathers to love them, look after them, and protect them. He had never had that, never, not that he remembered, and he was going to make damn sure that his own babies never suffered the same fate. Anyone who dared try to harm his babies was going to have their head ripped off…literally. His Dracken purred inside him at the thought, and that made Harry smile. He had suffered in his life, but his own children never would. Not if he had anything to say about it.
Nasta came back with three plates soon enough, and Harry mostly picked at his food, eating what he did purely because he knew that his baby needed it. They were quiet over the meal, Nasta and Myron spoke of business and work, leaving Harry to his thoughts. He appreciated it. He liked hearing their voices, but he didn’t want to be pressured into speaking. They were getting better at reading him, as he was getting better at reading them.
Once he had finished his plate, he was shooed away from cleaning up by Nasta. He said goodnight to them and he went to their bedroom instead, fetching his photo album on the way.
He climbed into their bed, surrounded by the smell of his mates, and he settled down. He took a breath and started at the front of his album, flipping pages, and feeling the pain with every photo.

“I hope you would have liked Myron and Nasta.” He told their pictures, smiling as they waved up at him.

It was the biggest wonder he had, what would they have thought of him being a Dracken? Would they have approved of Myron and Nasta, the life mates he had chosen for himself? What would they have thought of him having children so young? He would never know and a tear cut down his cheek.
He spent some more time studying each photo, turning the pages slowly. His heart caught when he came across the picture of Sirius. He missed him as well and he had cruelly had more time with him than his parents, but he had lost him as well. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.
Harry heaved a sigh, and he smiled too. He had to remember the good as well as the bad. He couldn’t help the grief, he would always grieve for them, for his own loss, but he had to remember the good as well, otherwise he would lose himself.
He did eventually cry himself to sleep, and at ten Nasta and Myron crept into the room to join him, gently closing the photo album and placing it on the bedside table, gently cleaning his face of the dried tear tracks, and then sandwiching him between them.
They wrapped him up in warm, safe arms and when he woke the next morning he felt safe and comforted, to the point where he didn’t want to move, so he didn’t. He stayed and he waited for them to wake up. For once he found that he didn’t mind waking up after a Halloween night. For once he didn’t feel alone and sad. He snuggled with his two mates and he basked in the feeling of just having them with him. For the first time he felt like he had a home, a family of his own…a family that would be growing by one very soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

It was the sixth of November, and Harry was excited for his scan, as this would be his gender scan. His bladder was uncomfortably full, and he was sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair.
He couldn’t wait to see his baby again. He hadn’t stopped looking at the scan photos he’d gotten, and he kept one of the pictures with him always.

“What is taking so long?” Harry demanded, squirming in his seat again as the urges from his bladder were getting more urgent.

“It won’t be long now, I’m sure.” Nasta assured him.

“If it is, I’ll go and shout at the orderlies and get you seen quicker.” Myron told him.

Harry laughed, but stopped suddenly and crossed his legs and put his hands to his groin.

“Don’t make me laugh.” He begged desperately.

“I wasn’t being funny.” Myron told him. “I was being serious. I’m giving them five more minutes.”

Thankfully Harry was called after four minutes, so he never got to find out if Myron was actually being serious or not, but he got the feeling that his mate had been deadly serious about his threat.

“I’ll make this as quick as I can.” The healer told him, this time a woman who was all professionalism and settled Harry down in just a minute of meeting her. “It’ll take about twenty minutes, but I’m sure it’ll feel much longer to you with how full your bladder is.”

“Oh, you don’t even know.” Harry complained, letting Myron help him onto the bed.

The healer gave him a gentle smile. “I had a baby just last year, I’ve only been back in work for a month, and I remember perfectly the torture that was my twenty week scan.”

Harry gave her a crooked grin in return.

“Right then, let’s see what baby is doing today.”

Harry endured the cold gel, and the transducer being dug into him, but he didn’t really deal well with the silence, as the healer clicked around, and did Merlin knows what, and all the while he was getting anxious that something might be wrong with his baby.
Myron, through whatever powers he had as top dominant, could sense that he was getting upset, and his hand went to his hair, playing with it and trying to soothe him.

“Everything’s looking good.” The healer told them, giving them a smile.

“Baby’s fine?” Harry asked quickly.

“More than fine, baby is thriving, and everything is more or less right where it should be. Well done, Harry.”

Harry grinned stupidly at getting praised and Nasta squeezed his hand and Myron stroked his hair.

“Now, we can see the sex perfectly clear, I think any photos I give to you will ruin any surprises anyway, but it’s still up to you.”

“I want to know.” Harry said desperately.

“Daddies, do you want to know as well?” The healer teased.

“Of course.” Myron told her.

“Whatever Harry wants.” Nasta agreed.

“Well, I’m almost one hundred per cent sure that we have a little boy here.” The healer told them, turning the monitor, and moving the transducer to show them that their baby was curled up, with his knees pretty much to his shoulders. Their little boy was proudly showing off everything he had.

“He’s healthy?” Harry asked.

“He is healthy.” The healer said, nodding. “He’ll be a big boy. From the size and the growth leap from your first scan, I estimate he’ll be about eight pounds ten ounces, or perhaps up to nine pounds. Take things a little easier for me, please.”

Harry nodded and he wanted to sigh. There went any semblance of peace he had from his mates. They were going to be unbearable now until he had this baby. A little boy. He smiled. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone.
Harry accepted the photos of his baby, and let Myron help him get dressed again. It didn’t take them long to floo back to Hogwarts, and then get back to their private rooms.

“I need to tell everyone.” Harry said excitedly. “I can tell everyone, can’t I?”

His mates chuckled and smiled at him.

“Of course you can, Harry.” Myron told him. “Tell the world.”

Harry laughed and went right to their fireplace. He took a handful of floo powder and he threw it into the flames.
The first person he wanted to tell was Myron’s parents.

“Harry, sweetheart, are you okay?” Myron’s mother, Kimberly, asked him. “Is my son treating you right? Tell him I’ll hit him with a wooden spoon if he’s not.”

Harry laughed. “No, he’s wonderful. I…I just got back from having a scan.”

“Oh!” Kimberly exclaimed excitedly, as she got to her knees in front of the fireplace, looking excited. “Is everything going well?”

Harry nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, baby is thriving.”

“That’s wonderful news, darling.”

“What is?” Alexander’s voice came from off to the side, and then he came into view, and his face lit up seeing Harry in the fire. “Harry, sweet one, how are you?”

“Wonderful. I was just saying that baby is thriving. I had my scan today.”

“Oh, I remember Myron saying that it was today. You and baby are both fine?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, we’re both doing well, but baby is going to be big. The healer thinks up to nine pounds! So I have to rest a little more and take it easy.”

“I should hope you were already doing so.” Kimberly told him.

Harry pulled a face. “Eh, I’m a little stubborn.”

He heard both of his mates laughing and he scowled.

“I can hear you both laughing, shut up.”

Kimberly and Alexander laughed too at that and Harry harrumphed.

“Well, take it easy now, Harry. You’re supposed to rely on your mates.” Kimberly told him kindly.

Harry nodded. “I know. I just like being independent. I like doing things for myself, and I’m not used to having people being there for me, or doing anything for me. It’ll take time to get used to it.”

“Of course.” Alexander agreed. “Now, did you find out if you’re giving us a granddaughter or a grandson? And if you have, will you tell us?”

Harry chuckled. “A boy. Maximilius.”

“You’ve named him already?!” Kimberly asked excitedly.

“Well Myron wants the name Maximilius Myron Maddison, he told me so, and I like the name Max. So we’re hoping it might stick once he’s born.”

“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart.” Kimberly told him.

“We both are.” Alexander nodded. “We can’t wait to meet your little Maxie. If indeed he remains a little Maxie.”

Harry was so happy and the moment he said his goodbyes and pulled his head out of the fire, Myron pulled him into a hug.

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re really going to call our son Maximilius?”

“Of course. I like the name Max, and Alexander’s nickname is cute. Little Maxie.” Harry giggled.

“Thank you, Harry.”

“Well, as I said the name might not stick, but I do like it and that helps.”

Myron picked him up and Harry found himself snuggled on his mate’s lap. Harry chuckled and snuggled in.

“Nas, call your dad and tell him the news. I don’t think Myron’s going to let me go anytime soon.” He laughed.

Nasta came and kissed him before going to call his father, while Harry and Myron snuggled together. Harry pulled out the pictures of their baby. Their son, and he smiled at them, looking at his thriving baby. His little Max.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Harry’s first term passed so quickly and it felt like he’d barely blinked and suddenly it was almost Christmas and he was back in their home.
It was nice to settle into a place that he loved so much, and was coming to see as theirs. He had a nice stack of holiday homework to complete, but he was more excited for his scan. He was six months pregnant now, and he was due in less than a month, and he was incredibly excited.
Of course, his mates were now almost impossible to live with because they were so overprotective and they fucking hovered over him at all times.

“Dad, why are you here?”

Harry blinked in confusion and detoured from the living room, where he was about to sit down and take the weight off his feet, to the kitchen. Alexander Maddison was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea.

“I came to see my newest sons.” He said calmly, then smiled at Harry. “How are you, Harry? Has Myron been treating you properly?”

“I’m fine.” Harry said happily. “Myron’s an overprotective idiot on most days, but I’m dealing with it.”

“And how is my grandson?”

“Boisterous and violent.” Harry laughed, sitting next to Alexander and allowing a hand to cup his bump.

“You have a scan soon?”

Harry nodded. “In a few days to see how he’s doing. I’m so excited.”

“Would you mind if we had a little party to celebrate? You’re the only one pregnant at the moment, and we’d like to celebrate with you.”

“Of course.” Harry said, before his mates could disprove the idea. “I’d love to celebrate.”

“As long as you take it easy and finish your homework.” Myron told him.

“You’re my mate, Myron, not my father.” Harry said through gritted teeth.

Myron narrowed black eyes at him.

“Don’t make me punish you, Harry.”

“Hit me while I’m pregnant and see what happens to you.” Harry hissed.

“Myron.” Nasta said warningly.

Myron turned that dark gaze onto Nasta.

“You can’t punish him just for speaking against you. He hasn’t done anything worthy of a punishment.”

Myron inhaled deeply and Harry watched his chest expand.

“Myron.” Alexander said, making sure his son was looking at him. “It’s not for me to interfere in your mateship, you know that I wouldn’t unless absolutely necessary, but do you really want your mate to be afraid of you? Is that the sort of relationship you want with Nasta and Harry? Them both too afraid to speak their minds, or disagree with you?”

“I’d leave first.” Harry said viciously, giving both of his mates a stubborn glare.

Myron eased down and he sunk into a chair.
His point already made Harry went to him and wrapped his arms around his neck.

“I know you worry, but please, just calm it down a little.” Harry said. “I can’t live like a prisoner in my own home, with my own family.”

“I don’t want you to feel that way.” Myron told him, lifting a hand to cover Harry’s.

“Then please, treat me as an adult. I know that I’m still in school, but this is supposed to be an equal partnership. I didn’t choose you, either of you, because I wanted a father figure or someone to boss me around like I’m just a sullen teenager. We’re having a baby together, this mateship is going to be for life. I’m not now, or ever, going to accept you treating me like a witless child.”

Myron pulled Harry around and into his lap, and he kissed the side of his head.

“I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel that way.”

Harry nodded. “Apology accepted.”

“So, are we celebrating or not?” Alexander asked them.

“Of course. This is my first baby, any chance to celebrate is going to be leapt upon.” Harry turned to Myron then. “I will rest and take it easy, but homework will be done on my terms.”

Myron gave him a squeeze. “Agreed.”

Harry smiled then and pulled Myron into a kiss.

“I can’t wait to see how little Max is doing. I really can’t wait until he’s here, either!”

Nasta came and kissed him, placing a cup of honey tea in front of him.

“It won’t be long now, Harry.” Nasta assured him. “He’ll be in our arms soon, and then we won’t get another night of peace for a while.”

Harry scoffed at that. “I haven’t had a peaceful night for a month now!” He told Nasta. “Do you know how difficult it is to sleep with this much added weight?”

“If there is anything more that we can do, please tell us.” Nasta told him.

“You know there’s not. I’m less than a month away from giving birth. I just…I’m so excited, Nasta. He’s our first baby. My first baby. I never thought that I would have my own family.”

Both of his mates reached out for him then, touching him, and Harry smiled.

“You know, you could always feed me more, though.” He teased.

“I really don’t think that’s possible.” Myron told him.

“You woke up four times last night for food.” Nasta added.

Harry grinned. “Baby was hungry.” He said, with a small shrug.

Alexander laughed. “Well, I’m happy to hear that they’re at least feeding you.”

“I can’t really eat much. Baby Max has taken over the space my stomach used to occupy, but that means I eat little portions more often, so I get hungry through the night.”

Harry rubbed his rounded belly with a smile. Myron’s hand covered his and squeezed.

“We don’t mind feeding you.” Myron told him.

“Even if you can’t cook?” Alexander asked innocently.

Harry snorted. “I mostly want fruit anyway.”

“I really like indulging your fruit cravings.” Nasta told him.

Harry grinned at him, then turned to Alexander. “He’s feeding me all sorts of things I’ve never heard of before.”

“Oh, and what new delights has Nasta been feeding you?” Alexander teased.

Harry laughed at what he perceived as a sexual innuendo. Alexander gave him a playful scowl.

“Well, he’s given me mango and kiwi too. I like both of those. I also like watermelon. I don’t really like passion fruit or persimmon though.”

“You should feed him some dragonfruit.” Alexander said.

“There’s such thing as dragonfruit?” Harry asked, wide eyed.

Nasta gave a smirk to Myron. “We should definitely feed him dragonfruit.”

Myron nodded. “We’ll let you try some, Harry. Anything and everything you want.”

Harry smiled at that and wondered how the hell he’d gotten to be so lucky. He was glad of his mate meetings now, despite how nervous he’d been before the Dracken meeting in May, and then going into his meeting to find Nasta. He was so grateful that he had them both with him. His little family. His family which was only going to grow from here on out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Christmas had been peaceful. With just three of them, they’d woken up late, had breakfast, and then exchanged several gifts with one another, before just settling down in front of the fire. Myron had been doing paperwork, despite being told that it was Christmas and he shouldn’t be doing any work, but he insisted that he found it relaxing, so Harry refused to push too hard. If Myron was weird enough to want to do paperwork on Christmas day, then he’d let him, for a few more years at least, because he was sure that as soon as they had more babies, and their older ones became more aware of Christmas, that Myron wouldn’t have the time to even think of his paperwork.
Nasta was also being weird. He wasn’t working like Myron, but he was working in a way, because he was reading something in a language that Harry couldn’t even decipher. The fact that Nasta had to translate it into a language he could understand was what made Harry think of what he was doing as work. He rolled his eyes and went back to watching the children’s film he was watching on TV, eating some chocolate slowly. He didn’t want to ruin his dinner later. His first proper Christmas dinner with his mates. That thought still made him smile and made him was to squirm in pleasure. He was finally doing things that normal people did and he was so incredibly happy that he could barely take the smile from his face.
He rubbed his belly, where their baby Max was twisting and kicking, feeling like their son was trying to boot his way out of Harry’s body.

“You look pained, are you okay?”

Harry looked over to Nasta, to find those gorgeous hazel-green-gold eyes looking at him critically.

“Yeah, I’m okay, it’s just Max won’t settle. He’s kicking at my organs like he just really wants out. It won’t be long now. I’m just so happy to have made it to Christmas Day. I really wanted to share today with you both. Our first Christmas.”

His mates reached out to touch him, and then Myron’s large hand fell to his even larger bump. He rubbed against their son, who kicked back, pushing his foot hard into Harry’s body. Harry moaned unhappily.

“He’ll be out soon.” Myron soothed him.

Harry nodded. “Our little family growing by one more.” He said happily.

“Everything is ready for him. The nursery is set up. The bassinet is by our bedside. We’ve washed all of his clothes, his sheets, and we have sterilised bottles ready for him.” Nasta said, before kissing Harry’s head. “We’re ready, Harry.”

Harry smiled at him, then turned to smile at Myron.

“How long before dinner at your parents?” He asked.

“Dinner is served at four, but the house will be full already. Some of my brothers and sisters stay at their own homes, but some of us still go around for dinner.”

“I really couldn’t deal with Christmas dinner on top of little Max. He’s already making my feet ache and I’m sat down.”

“We really wouldn’t ask you to cook dinner while you’re so heavily pregnant. You’re due in just a week.” Nasta assured him.

“My mother really loves having a full house too. Both of my parents do. It’s why my family are always gathering and celebrating everything.”

“You’re sure they don’t mind us coming?”

Myron scoffed. “They’d be offended to even hear you asking.”

Harry smiled and relaxed a little. If Myron said that they wouldn’t mind, then he would believe his mate and try not to let his fears and anxiety rule his thoughts. That was easier said than done, but he would try.
They stayed where they were, in their cosy living room, just doing their own thing, and enjoying the peace and one another’s company. Harry rested between both of his mates, and when he decided that he wanted tea, he got Nasta or Myron to get it for him. He didn’t really like the decaff tea, but he would do anything and everything to keep his baby Max healthy and safe.
Myron held him close and tight when it was time to go to the Maddisons for dinner. Harry happily held onto his mate and then pinched his bum once they arrived.
Myron gave him a playful smirk and a small growl.

“Oh yes, keep growling at me.” Harry teased, then gave a playful growl back.

Myron laughed at him and wrapped an arm around him and escorted him to a massive living room that was crawling with people.

“Myron, you made it! Where are your poor, beleaguered mates?”

“Right here.” Harry called out, raising his hand.

“Let me know if my brother isn’t treating you right, I’ll gladly take his place.” The lecherous Cassander told him, giving Harry a wink.

Harry was always at a loss with the ‘single’ Maddisons, as sometimes he thought they were joking when they said such things, but there was a small niggle of doubt that made him think that they weren’t actually joking at all and that made him uncomfortable.

“Touch my mate, Cass, and I’ll rip out your spine.” Myron growled for real.

“He doesn’t have a spine. You should know that. How are you, Harry?”

Harry smiled and opened up to Keanu Maddison. He really liked him, despite the fact that he was one of the ‘single’ Maddisons. He was not only straight, so didn’t want to jump Harry in any way, but he was also not a Dracken, so Harry didn’t see him as a threat like he did with Cassander, Enrique, who was one of Keanu’s quadruplet brothers, and the touchy-feely twins, Nicodemus and Cepheus.

“I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”

“Bored.” Keanu answered. “We can’t start playing any games until after dinner.”

“Games?” Harry asked. “Will I be able to play?” He asked, indicating his massive bump.

“My little nephew in there shouldn’t stop you, we usually play a few board games. Personally, I like that muggle Trivial Pursuit game, we split into teams so everyone can play. Myron’s rather good at it, the smartarse, so I say nab him quick before anyone else does.”

“I’ll always get first dibs.” Harry grinned.

“Nope, not in board games, here mateship and familial ties mean nothing.” Keanu told him, winking. “So stay plastered to his side and then call him the moment the games are announced.”

“Harry, there you are. This place was starting to look ugly without your grace and radiance here.”

Harry sunk back into Myron a little, as Enrique spotted him and came over. He would literally flirt with anyone and anything, and he didn’t care if that person was with someone else, or apparently mated to his own baby brother.

“I don’t care if it’s Christmas, Enrique.” Myron said darkly. “I will kill you if you don’t stop it.”

“I’m talking to Harry.” Enrique said.

“You know exactly what you’re doing and you’re frightening him too, stop it.”

“Enrique, your mother wants you in the kitchen.” Alexander said, coming right over and hustling his son off to the kitchen.

Harry eased down once he was gone. Enrique had never hurt him, or touched him, but Harry didn’t want to give him the chance to either, because he was pretty sure that Myron would kill him for it. It was supposed to be forbidden, off limits, to go after your own brother’s partner, but there were a few Maddisons who just didn’t care and were more outcast than the others.
For the most part the entire family was large, loving, kind, and gentle. There were those who would do anything for anyone, those who were protective over every member, blood, mated, or married, and there were those who would always make him laugh and feel welcome. But then there were a few who touched him without his permission, those who talked down to him, those that tried to stir up trouble between him and Myron. They were fewer, but Harry noticed them more.

“Harry, sweet one, are you okay?” Alexander asked him, coming to hug him.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Have you been spoilt?”

Harry grinned, and relaxed fully. “Yeah, Myron and Nasta have really spoilt me.”

“As we should.” Nasta said from Myron’s other side.

“Come and sit down, sweet one, you shouldn’t be so long on your feet. You’re due in just a week.”

“It’s amazing that your stubbornness has kept you from nesting.” Kyra told him, as Harry sat opposite her. He liked Kyra, she was strong like Myron, and not just physically, but mentally too. She was a dominant Dracken, and unmated, but she didn’t treat Harry as anything other than a person and saw him as completely off limits because he was her little brother’s mate.

“I was determined to reach Christmas Day, and I have.” Harry nodded. “I wanted to share today with my mates, this is our first Christmas, it’s special.”

“If anyone was stubborn enough to do it, it was you.” Nasta told him.

“Aw, love, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Harry said with a grin.

“Harry, I heard that you were here.” Kimberly said, hurrying over. She was wearing an apron and had a tea towel slung over her shoulder, but to Harry, she was the most beautiful woman in the room.

He stood to hug her, and she hugged him tightly, before ushering him to sit down again.

“Sweetheart, you’re due in just a week, rest, take things easy.” She chastised gently.

“I’m feeling fine.” He insisted.

“I know, but our little grandson in here could decide to make an entrance at dinner if you’re not careful.”

“You’d have to name him Jesus if he comes today.” Nico told him, hanging over the back of the settee. Harry was immediately on alert again and he shrunk away from Nico, who was trying to reach out and touch him.

Kimberly snatched the tea towel from her shoulder and gave Nico several whacks with it, until he backed away, laughing.

“Get in the kitchen, Nicodemus!” Kimberly said angrily. “You had better not let those sprouts roast to cinders!”

“Yes, Mum!” Nico called out, hurrying off, with a final whack of the tea towel to his lower back.

“He’s going to be a little Max, I know it.” Harry insisted. “I haven’t even looked at any other name, and even when I think of him, he’s baby Max.”

Myron threw an arm around him and Harry lilted sideways to rest on his mate. He inhaled deeply, and just rested and listened. It was nice being here for Christmas and he was glad that they had come, and not stayed at home.
Kimberly went back to oversee dinner being cooked by her ‘helpers’ which Harry assumed meant that she had coerced those who had been chosen into the kitchen. He was a little worried about dinner if he was honest because he definitely couldn’t handle much in any one sitting, and from Myron’s descriptions, there was going to be a mountain of food, and Harry, having been starved for most of his life, hated leaving anything on his plate.
He dragged his feet a little when dinner was announced, and Myron, thinking that perhaps his feet were sore, or he was tired, picked him up and carried him. Which wasn’t really what he’d been aiming for, but Harry had to admit that he liked it.

“How are you doing, Princess?” Nicodemus asked him, smirking.

“Fuck off, Cepheus.” Myron declared.

Harry blinked and looked closer, and yes, this twin was wearing a different jumper to Nico. Cepheus then.

“Language, Myron!” Kyra chastised her brother.

“The next person to harass my mate will have more than my language to worry about.”

“Let’s just eat, shall we?” Alexander called out cheerily, but there was a note of steel to his tone that told Harry that while he was shorter than most of his sons, and outnumbered too, they all respected him, and he was able to command their respect and obedience with just a word.

Harry’s plate was tiny when he was served, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I know all about third trimester pregnancy.” Kimberly told him gently, as she served him. “Especially with big babies. Eat what you can, honey, and if you are still hungry after, there is plenty more. Get Myron to get you second helpings if you’re feeling a little shy about it.”

Harry smiled at her and touched her hand gratefully.

“Thank you.” He said gratefully, sincerely.

Kimberly huffed, and kissed his forehead, before moving to her own seat, leaving her ‘helpers’ to serve everyone else.
There was no pomp or ceremony around starting the meal, in fact, the kids had already started eating, and once everyone had settled, they did the same, and Harry smiled, picking up his fork and picking at his plate. It was all cooked wonderfully and he even braved a bit of the roasted sprout.
It was ridiculous because in an hour he would be hungry again, but his tiny plate, which was smaller than most of the kids’ plates at the table, was going to defeat him. He ate as much as he could, but when he felt sick, and ready to pop, he had to stop.

“You did really well.” Nasta told him, laying a hand on his back and rubbing his shoulder.

“It’s so nice, and I want more, but Max really will be coming today if I eat any more, because there literally will not be any room for him and just one more bite.”

Nasta chuckled, and kissed him. “That’s alright. If you’ve had enough then you’ve had enough, and when you’re hungry later, you can eat again.”

Harry smiled, and he sat and let his aching stomach rest while everyone else finished eating. Dessert was served, and Harry had to skip it, though he did have a nibble of Myron’s Christmas cake while his mate was eating his Christmas pudding. That got him a smirk, and Harry grinned back cheekily.
After dessert came tea, coffee, in some cases a small glass of brandy, and more cake and chocolates, but all of those were served in the living room, where the board games were ready and waiting.

“Everyone team up! I call Myron.” Amorette Maddison shouted out.

“I’ve got Harry and Nasta on my team.” Myron answered. “There’s room for you Amorette, and then one more.”

“I call it!” Julius yelled.

“You’re supposed to be on my team!” His wife, Claire, told him, rolling her eyes.

“But I want to win, love!” Julius whined. “Everyone knows that Myron wins every single year!”

“I’ve called it.” Sandor said, smirking at his younger brother and moving to sit with ‘Myron’s’ group.

“You can’t do that! I called it first, Sandor!”

“You were still debating it.” Sandor insisted. “You know the rules.”

Harry chuckled as he watched Julius groan and go and sit next to his wife.

“You’re not joining our team.” Claire told him. “You chose Myron, and now our team is full.”

Harry laughed harder as Julius groaned again and looked around to see whose team was left. By some miracle they were even and they had enough people to have five players in each of the six teams, and Julius found a team to slot into.
The game was fun, even if the questions we rather hard, and vague, and fucking obscure…like really obscure. He was only seventeen.

“Okay, Harry. Blue question, for geography.” Myron’s brother, Alexus, called out. “What is the largest Japanese island?”

Harry really had never felt so thick in his entire life before he’d started playing this game with the Maddisons.

“Remember this is for fun, Harry.” Amorette told him.

“No whispering him the answer, Amorette!” Nico yelled out.

“I’m not telling him the answer!” Amorette shouted right back.

“Harry, what’s your answer?” Alexus prompted.

Harry shrugged. “Seeing as I didn’t even know Japan had islands, I’ll say Tokyo, as it’s the only thing I know.”

“Wrong, the answer is Honshu.” Alexus answered. “Though you were sort of right, because that island does contain the city of Tokyo.”

The game carried on and Nasta and Myron were a dream team, and they could answer nearly anything posed to them. Sandor was almost as good, and Amorette held her own easily. It was Harry who was the dumb one, dragging everyone down. It didn’t help that every roll he took almost always landed him on a piece of ‘pie’ that they needed.

“Okay, Harry, this one for science and nature and a green piece of cake.”

“It’s a pie, Kyra. It’s always been a pie!” Cassander corrected.

“Seeing as you’re unable to refrain from making lewd comments when anyone so much as mentions pie, it’s a cake from now on!” Kyra growled. “Harry, what disease did Mary Mallon carry?”

Harry didn’t even know who that was, and he sighed. “Chlamydia?”

There was a burst of laughter and even Myron had to cough to cover a laugh. Harry jammed one of his bony elbows into Myron’s ribs.

“No, it was typhoid.” Kyra answered simply.

Harry didn’t even know what typhoid was. He really was dragging their team backwards. He wished he hadn’t started this stupid game and had begged off on exhaustion or something.

“Don’t fret so much, Harry. It’s just a game.” Nasta soothed him, pulling Harry into a hug and snuggling him in. “Some of these questions are from the original game they’re that old, I don’t know half of them either.”

“You’re getting all your questions right.” Harry pointed out, even as the game carried on around them.

“By pure luck. Notice how I won’t go near any pink or orange sections if I can help it. I’m aiming for the blue ones, because geography is my biggest strength because of how much I’ve travelled.”

“I don’t have any strengths. I was raised by muggles, but I stopped being educated in the muggle world when I went to Hogwarts. I don’t know any of this stuff.”

“Just relax, remember that it’s just a game, and you’re only seventeen. Also, the Maddisons play this game several times a year, they’ve heard all of these questions several times over, that’s why they have to buy more and more question packs. They only know so many of the answers because they’ve been playing since they were kids too. Give yourself time to catch up, and you’ll be beating them as well.”

“I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say.” Harry said with a grin, but he did feel better, and he pulled Nasta into a kiss. “Thank you.”

Nasta smiled at him and stroked a thumb over Harry’s cheek.

“Hey, lover boy, it’s your turn!” Nico called out, before whistling at Nasta.

Harry watched as Nasta rolled, and decisively chose a green question, and not a pink. It made his smile widen.
Another hour of game play and their team had almost won. They were racing Alexander’s team, and Kyra’s team, for the centre space for the win. Unfortunately, it was Harry’s turn in the team next to answer, and the other teams got to pick what category he had to answer for.

“Well, Harry, you’re rubbish at everything, so I don’t think it actually matters what category we pick for you.”

“Philip!” Kimberly burst out angrily.

“Try me.” Harry said through gritted teeth.

“Let’s try you on orange.” Philip said, smirking, as he pulled out a card. “Silence from the rest of the team. What is nori, the traditional wrapping of sushi, made from? Rice, miso, or seaweed?”

Harry had never had sushi before. He’d seen it on an advert once and he tried to prod his brain into thinking, into remembering the picture of it. He was sure that sushi was rice and fish. Was that too obvious, or was it just a trick into making him think it was too obvious?

“Any time tonight, Harry.” Philip chastised.

“Philip, let him think. There’s no time limit.” Alexander said harshly. “Take your time, Harry, sweet one.”

Thinking of the picture he’d seen, he was sure there was a dark something wrapped around the rice, so was the answer seaweed? He didn’t know what miso was either, but the longer he took to answer, the stupider he’d look. He really didn’t like this game.

“You know, you can pass if it’s too difficult for you, it’s not like you have three answers to choose from or anything.”

“Philip, Harry is family, stop it, now.” Kimberly said, raising her voice just slightly. Every single one of her children instinctively leaned away from her tone.

“Seaweed.” Harry blurted out, just wanting the attention off of him and onto someone else.

“Oh, you finally got a question right.” Philip said. “It only took you all night.”

Harry decided then that he really didn’t like Philip at all. At least the touchy Maddisons weren’t nasty to him like Philip had been. He’d have to ask Myron what his problem was once they got home.

“And that’s Myron’s team for the win. What’s this, six years in a row now, Myron?”

“Seven.” Myron corrected, easily slipping his arm around Harry and holding him tight. Nasta’s hand was on his leg for silent support.

“Well done for getting us the win, Harry.” Amorette praised, and Harry felt like a fraud.

“I didn’t really know the answer, I just wanted everyone to stop staring.” He confessed.

“I don’t care, we still won.” Sandor said in a pleased tone.

“What’s miso?” Harry asked Nasta quietly.

“It’s a Japanese soup.” He answered, brushing some hair from Harry’s face. “What was your brother’s problem with Harry?” He asked Myron.

Myron grunted, and jet black eyes zeroed in on Philip, who was being told off by Alexander and Kimberly.

“His girlfriend left him and he wants everyone to be as miserable as he is.” Amorette said, overhearing them. “He really wasn’t happy when our baby Myron mated so he’s taking it out on Harry. But you just ignore him.” She added, speaking to Harry. “The rest of us are glad that Myron finally got himself a mate, and such a cute one too.”

“He’d have to be cute with how dumb he is.” Sean, Alexus’ partner, quipped as he passed. “Otherwise he’d have nothing going for him.”

Harry wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He was angry, but humiliated. He wanted to leap over the chair and rip out Sean’s throat, Philip’s too while he was at it, but he also wanted to cry and hide. With how heavily pregnant he was too, he doubted he’d get to beat anyone up right now, he couldn’t even stand up by himself, so that only really left the option of crying, but he didn’t want to do that in a room of over thirty people.
He held a hand up to Nasta, then waved it when Nasta didn’t immediately help him to his feet.

“Harry…”

“I need the toilet. Now.” He said, but his voice was wavering, he could feel the tears coming.

Nasta helped him up and Harry hurried out of the room to the nearest bathroom.

“What’s wrong with Harry?” He heard Xerxes, the oldest of Alexander and Kimberly’s children, ask.

Harry hurried as fast as he could and he slammed the bathroom door and locked it. He had never felt so humiliated and hurt before in his life and the damn tears fell before he could ease them away with calming breaths.
He cried until he felt exhausted, then he just sat on the closed lid of the toilet huffing until he felt calmer. His baby was awake now and squiring around restlessly inside of him. Harry’s Dracken wanted to come out, and it was a likely sign that he was going to start nesting. His perfect nest was back at their home, he had none of the things he needed here. He wanted to leave.
He stood with help from the sink and he washed his face to try and clear the traces of tears, but his face had gone blotchy and anyone who looked at him would know that he had been crying. There was nothing for it, he’d have to go out and face them and complete his humiliation. He refused to nest inside Alexander’s ground floor bathroom.
He opened the door and inhaled deeply, trying to locate his mates. They were still in the living room, which had half emptied of people. Myron’s knuckles were grazed and bloodied. That almost made Harry smile.

“Harry, are you okay?” Nasta asked him as soon as he trudged into the room, his head down, and his arms locked around himself like a shield.

“I want to go home.” He said quietly.

“Oh, please don’t go on their account, Harry, please.” Kimberly begged. “Myron has sorted them both out, and now Alexander is having his turn. We love you. Please stay.”

Harry shook his head and latched onto Nasta. He couldn’t stay. He was starting to slip into his nesting instincts.

“Nasta, take him home. I have some things to clear up.” Myron said darkly.

Harry latched onto Myron’s sleeve and went onto his toes to indicate that he wanted a kiss. Myron gave him what he wanted and rubbed his back.

“I’ll see you soon.” Myron swore to him, but his eyes traced every inch of his face, taking in the blotchy redness that indicated his mate had been crying, and his temper swelled again.

Nasta took Harry through the floo and supported their landing.

“I want to go to bed.” He announced.

“Do you want me to bring you some tea, water maybe?” Nasta asked sadly.

Harry shook his head. “No. I just want to sleep. I’m tired.”

Harry kissed Nasta, and he went upstairs. He used the last of his stubborn will to hold off his change, as he collected a few more things he wanted with him in his nest, and then he let his Dracken side take over.
He opened the bedroom window and he flew out into the night garden. He’d made his nest in an abandoned rabbit burrow that he’d made bigger, and sturdier, with magic and his own hands. It was December, and it would be January soon enough. He needed to build underground so that he and the baby were protected from snow, frost, and freezing winds.
He’d made his nest as comfortable as possible, with furs, blankets, pillows, cushions, and even clothes from his mates, so that he could have comforting, familiar scents around him as he gave birth. He’d also taken over half of their stash of towels. There was no way his mates didn’t know he’d taken them for his nest, but they’d never asked, or even hinted at the loss of the towels, and thus Harry was secure that they hadn’t gone snooping for the location of his nest.
He padded out his nest with the new items he’d picked up, and then he shed his clothes, throwing them back out of his nest and he snuggled down in the thick furs and blankets. He was immeasurably sad, but he wrapped his arms around his baby and he sunk into sleep. It wouldn’t be long now before he could cradle his baby in his arms, and then everything would seem so much better.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

“Where’s Harry?” Was the first thing Myron asked when he flooed through, and Nasta sighed, taking in the state of Myron.

“He went to bed because he was tired, but I saw him flying into the trees at the end of the garden just after we came home. He’s nesting, Myron.”

Myron slumped and sighed heavily. “I’d hoped I could speak with him before he went into his nest.”

“Let me see your hands.” Nasta said calmingly, taking the offered hands into his own, and then using his wand to inspect and heal the damage.

“I could kill my family some days.” Myron told him, as Nasta worked.

“There are a lot of you, tempers and personalities are bound to clash from time to time.” Nasta said easily, even as he focused on each of Myron’s knuckles.

“It’s because I’m the youngest. I’m fifty-fucking-three, and I’m the biggest of all of them…”

“That doesn’t change that you’re also the baby of them.” Nasta told him. “Believe me, I know. I’m the youngest too, remember? There might have just been my dad, Sanex, and Anga for a time, but I was still the youngest, and I was…” Nasta smirked for a moment. “Spoilt.” He finished. “The youngest is usually the most indulged, especially if, like with my situation, you know you are definitely always going to be the youngest.”

“I was the one my parents weren’t supposed to have. They thought their fertile years were over after the quintuplets arrived. Then two years after being told that the quintuplets had been too much for my mum, I arrive. They’d almost come to terms with not having any more children after Ellien, Julius, Aurelia, Amorette, and Lydia. The five of them were enough of a handful on their own.” Myron said with a smirk. “They were two when I was born. The miracle baby.”

“I’ve heard a lot of references to the golden boy.”

Myron snorted. “Yes. My parents loved all of their children, but I think they’ll readily admit that I was the favourite. That’s why dad left the company to me.”

“Is that where Philip’s attitude came from?”

Myron shrugged a shoulder. “I’m only the favourite because I’m the youngest. No other reason than that. I was raised the same, just a little more…indulged. I was still chastised and punished, but I could get away with more. They weren’t supposed to have me, they’d been told they couldn’t have me, but still, I came along and I was indulged because of it.”

“So Amorette had it right, it was less about you being the favourite and more that you’d found a mate and were happy?”

“He says no, but it’s obvious.” Myron agreed. “He was trying to upset Harry, trying to make him feel insignificant, and not worthy of being mated to a Maddison because he was jealous that I’d mated and his girlfriend had left him.”

“Why did she leave?”

Myron snorted. “Philip has no taste. He goes for looks alone. She left her husband for him. It wasn’t such a surprise that she left Philip when someone else started showing her more attention.”

“And you’re the newest happy couple, so to speak, so he targeted Harry.”

Myron nodded. “I could have killed him when I saw Harry’s face.”

“From the state of your knuckles, I say you did him over pretty good.”

“Him and Sean both.”

“Why did Sean start on him?”

“He’s been told all about the airheaded submissives and he’s listened to the family complain about how the submissives are getting worse and worse. Not being a Dracken himself, he doesn’t really understand what we mean, or what we’re complaining about, so he saw that Harry was a young submissive, saw him get a few ambiguous questions wrong, and jumped to conclusions and thought he’d put the boot in when he saw the opportunity.”

“Poor Harry.”

Myron inhaled deeply and slowly let it out again. “My own fucking family.” He complained through gritted teeth.

“Not all of them. Not even most of them, just a few, Myron. Harry knows that.” Nasta assured him. “None of your knuckles are broken and neither are any of your fingers.”

Myron nodded, and Nasta healed up the grazes with one swish of his wand, and then cleaned up the blood with a wave.

“We’re not going there next year. We’re staying here, home, with Harry and our son. I’ll spend the entire year learning to cook if I have to.”

“I’m sure we could both find come cookery courses to go on, maybe ask your mother for some hints and tips. We can do better for Harry.”

Myron nodded. “Is Harry alright outside?”

“He has everything he needs, I’m sure. He hasn’t made a squeak since he went out there, and definitely no distress calls. I’d say he was fine…with most of our towels to keep him warm.”

Myron snorted and then laughed. “I found two more blankets missing too. Wherever he built that nest, he’s definitely warm.”

“Good, now come and keep me warm. Christmas isn’t over yet and there are still a few presents we can give to one another.”

Myron smirked at him and surged to his feet, taking Nasta’s hand and pulling him from the living room to the stairs. Harry would call them if he needed them. For now, he was going to give Nasta a few more Christmas gifts that he would never forget.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

They were anxious the longer that Harry remained in his nest, silent. They had been throwing him food, listening to him snarl and growl at them if they got too close to his nest, but Harry had been due on the first of January, and today was the fifth.
Their son was a big baby, they’d already been warned that he would be close to nine pounds, and the longer that Harry went overdue, the bigger that baby was going to grow, and potentially put Harry at risk. Harry was not a big person, he was slim, slender, and almost dangerously thin because of childhood abuse. The bigger that baby got, the bigger the risk to Harry, who still seemed perfectly content in his nest and had made no sound of distress or worry towards them, only the snarling and hissing to warn them off if they dared get too close to his nest.

“What do we even do in this situation?” Myron demanded.

“Nothing.” Alexander told him comfortingly. “Myron, Harry knows what he’s doing. His instincts will guide him. The baby isn’t ready to come out yet.”

“He’s almost a week overdue.” Nasta fretted. “Maybe we should have eased him down more about Christmas, reassured him more that it would be okay for him to nest earlier.”

“You don’t know that that’s the reason that the baby is overdue.” Aneirin said. “Harry is not distressed, he hasn’t called.”

“What if complications come from this?” Nasta asked. “What if we lose them both?”

“That isn’t going to happen, Nasta.” Alexander said. “Please try to remain calm. Harry will need you when he goes into labour and more so once he emerges from his nest.”

“Should we get a healer on standby, just in case?” Myron asked.

“If that will make you feel more comfortable, then I’ll go and see what I can do.” Alexander agreed.

“This is your first child and Harry has carried really well.” Aneirin said, as Alexander gave him a pat to the arm and then went to the fireplace to floo to the Dracken council halls. “Just because he’s overdue by five days, doesn’t mean that anything will happen to him.”

“Our son was squashing up every inch of his insides, and that was when we last saw him two weeks ago.” Nasta said. “If that baby gets bigger, or stronger…”

“Don’t say it.” Myron growled.

“Nasta, you are allowing your thoughts of the past to cloud your feelings.” Aneirin said gently. “What happened to your mother won’t happen to Harry.”

“How do you know that?” Nasta asked, almost begging for reassurance.

“Your mother ran into complications, Nassa. She didn’t have time to do what she needed to do. She chose to save your life and I’m glad that she did.”

“She was your mate!” Nasta said, horrified.

“She was, but you were my son, Nasta. Our son. My own little boy. Her little boy. I miss her every single day, but not a single day goes by where I wish, or even think, that things had been different, where your life was exchanged for hers. NEVER! I wouldn’t want her back in exchange for you. I felt like that the moment I saw you, the moment I saw her and knew that it was too late. I’m not sure if I ever told you this, but you were the one I went to first. When I heard her desperate calls, when I smelt the blood and saw her, then saw you. You were the one I went to, you were the one I cradled. I’m a dominant Dracken and it shouldn’t have been that way, but that’s what happened, and what I did. I knew it was too late for Lowri, but it wasn’t too late for you. I picked you up and I checked on you as my priority. My last memory of Lowri was…she was smiling at us, as I cradled you in my arms. It had made her so happy that I had chosen you, as she would have, as she did. Lowri was my mate, Nasta, my one true love, the only person I’ll ever mate to in my entire life. I don’t want another. But you were my child. I made my choice that day and I have never, not once, regretted it.”

“I’m not sure I could be that strong if it were me…if Harry dies from this.” Nasta confessed.

“I didn’t do it alone and neither will you. But again, you are getting ahead of yourself. Harry is perfectly fine and contented in his nest. An overdue baby doesn’t mean he’s going to run into complications.”

“Of course not.” An elderly Dracken healer said as he came into the room with Alexander. “Poor boy is probably enjoying some bloody peace.”

“Alfred, thank you for coming.” Myron said, even though he’d technically just been insulted.

“Think nothing of it, if you need someone here to be on hand, just in case, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. I could use the time to catch up with your father anyway.” Alfred Grant said, as he sat on the settee and made himself at home. Then if you were into your three hundreds, such things stopped being important.

Nasta went and made tea, more for something to do, even as he looked out of the kitchen window, down to the end of the garden, as if he could see into Harry’s nest, even knowing that he couldn’t.

“Now, tell me about young Harry, such a sweet, pleasant boy. Has he been eating what you give to him?”

“Small bites here or there. He likes meat the most and if we throw him a decent sized piece, he’ll nibble it almost to nothing, but on some days we can throw him something and he’ll throw it right back out.” Myron said worriedly.

“Ah, that is nothing but his needs dictating to him. Sometimes he and the baby need to eat, sometimes they don’t. If he isn’t hungry, he’s not going to want a huge hunk of meat rotting in his nest, so he throws it back out. If he is hungry though, he’ll eat. Have you been scheduling his feeds?”

“Yes, we try to tempt him at least twice a day.” Nasta said, bringing in the tea tray and serving everyone.

“Then it’s no wonder the poor boy is throwing food back out. He’s heavily pregnant and most digestive functions have already stopped. He’s eating mostly for that baby. Once every few days is sufficient, though I understand that this is your first baby and thus you’re going to be worried and fretful.”

“Is it dangerous, that he’s overdue and his systems have stopped functioning for so long?”

“No, no. The Dracken knows what he’s doing. That baby has some more growing and developing to do. Harry will go into labour soon enough. Now, does he have everything he needs? Blood, cord clamps, baby clothes, bottles and milk?”

Myron nodded. “I caught him making up a bag, he didn’t see me, but I saw him packing everything that he needed and then he slipped out of the house to take it to his nest.”

“Good, that is the most important thing. That he has everything he needs to deliver safely. You say that he is five days overdue?”

“Almost six.” Nasta said worriedly, as he looked at the clock on the wall, which said it was getting on for nine at night.

“Well, seventy per cent of submissives go earlier than their due date, twenty per cent go right when they’re expected to, and ten per cent do go overdue. I’ve known submissives who have gone three weeks overdue, that was not pretty, I’ll tell you.”

“What? Why?” Nasta demanded anxiously.

“She went into labour but ran into complications. It is procedure to call in a healer at about the week overdue mark, so I had already been there, waiting for her to go into labour for two weeks already. But when she did go into labour, the baby was far too big for a vaginal birth and she refused to move onto the caesarean birth quickly enough. I had to dart her with a tranquiliser like a wild animal, and perform a caesarean myself while her mate threatened to rip me limb from limb as his brothers held him back for me. Both mother and baby survived. The submissive doesn’t speak to me, but her mate was at least thankful…after he had calmed down first, of course.”

“She thought you had interfered with her birthing process?” Alexander asked.

Healer Alfred Grant nodded. “That exactly, my old friend. She still insists to this day that she could have birthed that baby by herself. Poor disillusioned girl, that baby was born thirteen pounds and eleven ounces. There was no way she could have birthed that baby before it suffocated in the birth canal. She would have been a stillbirth if I hadn’t intervened. Camilla, they named her, if I remember correctly.”

“Will you have to do that for Harry?”

“Unless he has a vagina that no one has told me about, then no. Harry will go straight for the caesarean section, as all male submissives do, and that could be a good thing for him, and the baby. He will need close monitoring, as the chances of him bleeding out is quite high, but the danger lies in how big the baby is, and if Harry nicks him with a claw while opening himself up.”

“Is that likely?” Myron asked.

Alfred considered the question and hummed. “The bigger the baby, or the more of them there are, the higher the risk that the submissive will accidentally cut one of them, but as long as it isn’t anywhere vital, then the baby can be cleaned up and healed.”

“What about his venom?”

“What are they teaching you kids these days? Submissives venom won’t work on their own children! It’s a different secretion. A different concentration for birthing, warning cuts, and for threats. Two are non-lethal, one is lethal.”

Nasta blew out a breath and sat down, despite feeling like a caged animal that wanted to pace in tight circles. He took a sip of tea and checked the time again. Barely twenty minutes had passed.

“Now, is Harry still answering your calls?”

“Again, it’s only sometimes.” Myron answered.

“This is to be expected. If he feels there is a shift in his immediate space, then he will remain silent to assess it. Most times it’s a small prey animal, or even a falling branch, some noise of some sort. Even the wind, if it is strong enough, can make it so that he won’t answer a call. Try him.”

Myron inhaled deeply, then let out a loud, long call, calling to his submissive mate who was nesting in their back garden. They waited a moment, then Myron called again. A call came back, faint and sleepy. They had woken Harry up.

“Ah, see, he’s calm, he’s sleeping still. He’s not in any sort of distress. I am happy to stay to oversee him, though. He is almost a week overdue, and I would like to remain, as this is Harry’s first pregnancy. It is odd that the submissive goes overdue for the first, but if both mother and baby are contented, then there’s no danger in it.”

Harry called again, and they listened closely, as it was rare that he called them for anything. There was no distress to his tone, but there was something to it that put Nasta on edge.
Alfred chuckled to himself.

“He is warning you to stay away from him.” The elderly healer told them, still chuckling. “A feisty mate you’ve gotten yourselves.”

“We already knew that.” Nasta said, sharing a smile with Myron.

The group of five men sat and spoke into the night and they were just thinking about retiring, at one in the morning, when the first screech of agony ripped through the peaceful silence.

“Ah, there we go. Six days overdue, but that baby will be here today. Prepare yourselves, lads.” Alfred told them. “That was Harry going from pre-labour, into full-labour. It won’t be more than twenty minutes for that baby to be born now.”

The screaming was horrific and Nasta just wanted to hold Harry close and kiss him, and hug him, and love him, and tell him how proud he was of him, and how much he loved him.
The screaming didn’t stop. Every breath Harry took seemed to be dedicated to a new scream and Nasta had to reach out for Myron’s hand. He was strong, he was independent, he could have stood on his own, or even comforted others if needed, but in that moment he wanted to give comfort to Myron, and receive it in return. He had no need to stand and suffer in silence, as he listened to his mate scream in agony, when he had a mate right next to him.
Harry fell silent after just fifteen minutes, which had passed as an eternity. After several minutes with no noise, Nasta felt fit to burst.

“He hasn’t made any distress call, so I’d say he has been delivered of a healthy baby and the both of them are doing well. Let him rest now and come out of his nest on his terms.” Alfred told them, breaking the new silence, where they had been straining their ears to hear any sort of noise.

“He would distress call if anything had gone wrong.” Aneirin told them, gently. “If anything does go wrong later, then he will distress call then as well, and it will wake you up.”

Nasta looked at Myron and found those black eyes watching him.

“We probably won’t sleep tonight, knowing our son has been born, but we can at least lie down and rest.”

Myron nodded, and still holding Nasta’s hand, they said goodnight and went up to their room. The room they shared with Harry and would share with the baby as well.
Nasta went to the bassinet to run a hand over the side of it, imagining it being filled. He closed his eyes and tried to picture their baby. He couldn’t wait until he could see him and Harry again so that he could picture their baby easier.

“Come to bed, Nasta.” Myron said, already laying down.

Nasta turned and looked at him. He looked back at the bassinet one last time, before sighing and taking off his shirt and jeans and crawling into bed with Myron. Once settled he peeled his socks off one by one and then turned to snuggle into his mate.

“Harry is going to be fine. He’s had the baby, he’s going to take some time to recover, and then he’ll be back with us, they both will. He’s strong and stubborn, so just rest for now, Nasta.”

Nasta nodded and tried to stop himself from fretting. He just wanted to know what was happening. He needed to see Harry with his own eyes, to assess that he was actually alright. He needed to see the baby to see that he was alright too. This waiting was going to drive him insane.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Harry was feeling exceptionally sore the next time he really had conscious thought. The human side of himself was back and he was no longer in Dracken form.
He looked at his baby with soft, adoring eyes for really the first time that wasn’t overshadowed by Dracken instincts. He picked up the baby, dressed impeccably in a bodysuit, sleepsuit, hat, mitts, and booties. He kissed his baby and then inhaled his scent deeply. It was already ingrained in his mind. His Dracken side had done everything right. He had done everything right, and he smiled.
He checked to make sure everything was as it should be. He’d ejected the placenta, and anything with so much as a blood spot out of his nest for his mates to clear away, his baby was eating well, and sleeping well. It was time for him to leave his nest, but he was so sore.
He wasn’t going to be able to make it back to the house, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He called out for his mates.
Harry heard them call back and he smiled tiredly. He couldn’t wait to see them again. He made sure that he had everything, that he had his baby gathered up in his arms, and then his mates were there, helping to pull him from his underground nest.

“Hi.” He greeted in a croak.

They nuzzled his face, kissed him despite the fact that he really, really needed a nice long soak in the bath, and he chuckled.

“Home, please.” He said. “I don’t want baby out in this cold too long.”

He was wrapped in a blanket that they had brought, and then hurried back to the house, and he rested back in Nasta’s arms, feeling protected and loved.
Alexander and Aneirin were in the living room waiting, along with a man that Harry didn’t know, and his arms clutched his baby tighter.

“It’s alright, Harry.” The unknown man told him gently, showing him his hands. “I am Healer Alfred Grant, from the Dracken Council Halls. Your mates called me after you’d gone overdue.”

“Overdue?” Harry questioned.

“Your baby was born on the sixth of January, six days overdue.”

Harry’s confusion cleared and he chuckled. “He was happy where he was.”

“Clearly, now, can I give you and baby a check-up? Just in case.”

Harry nodded, and he endured the touching and poking, and the very few washes of magic.

“Feeling a bit sore?” The healer asked him.

Harry nodded. “Can’t really seem to get my legs under me either.”

The healer nodded. “You need to heal up a bit more. Your body took a battering, just rest and stay sat or laying down for a few days. Your mates are here to help you with anything you need. It’s their entire job at the moment. Looking after you and your baby.”

Harry smiled down at the baby in his arms. He’d lost the red, swollenness of birth and he had settled into something just so utterly perfect that Harry had a hard time not looking at him.

“Now, I’m told that you’ve already named the baby, is that right?” Alfred asked.

“Maximilius Myron Maddison.” Harry said, still looking at his beautiful baby. “He was nine pounds six ounces, and twenty-three inches long.”

“Merlin, he’s a big, long boy.” The healer chuckled.

Harry nodded. “He’s perfect.” He declared, finding a tiny hand and holding it.

“It is surprising that you didn’t go early with how cramped up he would have been.”

“He just kicked my organs aside.” Harry joked.

“Well, little Maximilius seems to be perfectly fine. You’ll be fine in a few weeks, Harry. Well done.”

Harry looked up and smiled at that. “Thank you.”

“You two lads, you look after him, you hear me?” The healer directed at Myron and Nasta. “He’s not to go up or down the stairs, he’s not to carry anything and keep him fully resting for a few days, at least until normal function resumes. I’m going to leave you some painkillers, don’t be stubborn about taking them, Harry. They’ll help you heal quicker.”

Harry nodded again, but his attention was once again taken by his baby. They both needed baths.

“Can someone run us a bath?” He asked, looking over at his mates.

Nasta nodded and went to do it immediately. Myron came to sit beside him so that he could get a look at the baby. Those big arms came around him and Harry rested back into the strength of his mate and allowed Myron to take the weight of the baby. His stomach and back felt immediately better.

“Right, I’m going to get off now, you are well in hand, Harry. You and baby are completely perfect, just rest a little, follow your instincts, and you’ll be fine.” The healer told him.

Harry nodded. “Thank you.”

He didn’t pay much attention to what was going on from there, he knew that the healer had handed a bag of potions to Alexander and then flooed out and that Alexander and Aneirin were staying for a little while. They naturally wanted to meet their new grandson, but no one, absolutely no one, was going to take the baby from him. They didn’t expect him to give the baby up, and no one would ask. It was just a part of being a Dracken.

“The bath is ready, Harry.” Nasta told him.

Harry hummed and lifted his one arm out of his blanket for Nasta. An indication that he wanted to be picked up.
Nasta did exactly as Harry wanted him to and lifted him up into his arms.

“Baby will want a bottle soon, Myron, can you make him one up, please?” Harry asked as he was carried out of the living room to the bathroom.

“Sure thing, love.” Myron answered, watching until he and the baby were out of the room.

Nasta carried him to the bathroom and set him down gently on the closed toilet. He’d already laid out pyjamas for him, and a new sleepsuit for the baby.
Harry started undressing baby Max, handing the dirty clothes to his mate to put in the washing basket. The clothes were covered in dirt from his underground nest and with left over blood from the birth. Despite how thoroughly Harry had tried to clean the baby off, there were bits that he had missed.
Nasta took the blanket from him once the baby was naked, before picking him up again and then easing him gently into the water with the baby. His caesarean scar looked awful, a thick, red, puckered line, and Nasta stared at it.

“It’s just sore.” Harry insisted, as he started washing the baby, who grumbled a little at the disturbance.

Nasta rushed to help him, supporting the baby for him, and passing him the soap.

“There, he’s all nice and clean.” Harry declared. “Can you dry and dress him for me?”

“Of course.” Nasta insisted, doing just that, carefully and gently. “I see he took your hair.”

Harry smiled at the shock of jet black hair that the baby had.

“Black is very dominant.” He said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if all of our children had black hair, and Myron’s chestnut brown is completely lost.”

“Well, genetics work in weird ways, I bet at least one of our children will have chestnut brown hair.”

Harry chuckled. “You’re on. I’ll take that bet. Don’t conveniently forget now.”

Nasta laughed. “I won’t.” He said, even as he got baby Max into a nappy and started dressing him. “He’s very contented, isn’t he?”

“All of his needs are met.” Harry said, nodding. “He’s happy, healthy, he’s warm, and now he’s clean and dry. He’ll be fine until he’s hungry or wet now. Go and hand him off to Myron for me, then come back and get me out of this dirty soup.”

Nasta laughed, then tried to stifle it. “Okay, give me a minute. Just wash your hair off you still have shampoo in it.”

“Can’t until you come back. I can’t lean back, or get myself up if I slip.”

“Alright, just sit pretty for a minute then, while I give Max to Myron.”

Harry did just that, sitting still, washing his arms a bit more, but the water was filthy by now and he was done sitting in it.
Nasta came back quickly and then helped Harry rinse his hair, and drained the bath while getting the showerhead down to rinse Harry off fully with clean water.
Harry was lifted out of the bath and sat back on the closed toilet, and Nasta draped a massive towel around him and then rubbed him dry. Harry came out pink skinned and clean and he felt more human at least.
He allowed Nasta to dress him and then carry him back to the living room, where baby Max was being passed around his grandfathers.

“Do you want him back, sweet one?” Alexander asked as he cradled the baby.

Harry shook his head as he was placed onto the settee, he slipped himself sideways and just lay down.

“If you’re tired, then just sleep.” Myron told him. “We have baby Max in hand.”

Harry yawned, feeling sleepy after his bath. “He’ll want a feed soon, then a nappy change, and he should fall back to sleep. He’s four days old?” He added the last as a question.

His mates both nodded. Harry nodded too.

“He’s four days old and he doesn’t really want much. He feeds every few hours, wets nappies in between, but mostly he’s sleeping.” Harry reported.

“You can sleep too, Harry. We can sort him out.” Nasta assured him, petting his damp hair with gentle fingers and using the throw on the back of the settee to cover him over.

Harry smiled. “Call me if you need me, though I’ll probably be awake as soon as he is. He’s loud. And I mean loud.”

His mates snorted in amusement and watched as Harry drifted to sleep.
Myron waved a hand and everyone followed him out to the kitchen.

“If Maximilius really is that loud, then hopefully bringing him out here will help keep Harry sleeping and resting.” Myron said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

“How do you both feel now that they’re both home?” Aneirin asked.

“It feels surreal actually.” Nasta said, smiling at the baby in Alexander’s arms.

“He’s already four days old and we’ve known he was born and just in the garden for four days, but this is the first time we’re really meeting him. The first time we’re seeing him.” Myron said, nodding his agreement. “It is a bit surreal to suddenly have him in the house.”

“He’s certainly a big boy.” Alexander said, shifting his arm and hefting the weight of the baby, feeling him. “He’s got a really nice weight to him and I don’t feel like he’s going to slip through my arms or anything.”

Alexander handed the baby off to Aneirin, who hummed in agreement. “I see what you mean. He’s a good size and weight, you certainly know you’re holding him.”

“It is surprising that such a tiny person as Harry managed to carry him so well, and six days overdue as well.”

“I’m learning that anything is possible when that boy is concerned.” Aneirin laughed.

“I think that’s true for all of us.” Myron grumbled. “He did worry me going overdue like he did, especially for his first baby, and with how big Max was expected to be.”

“He kept calm and let his instincts take over, Myron. As he was supposed to. Harry had a textbook pregnancy and delivery by all accounts.” Alexander praised.

Baby Max made a noise and immediately had the attention of four men. He squirmed a little in Aneirin’s arms.

“It looks like someone is awake and ready for a bottle.” Aneirin said, passing the baby over to Myron, while Nasta went and collected the bottle from the counter, testing it against his wrist critically.

It took Max a moment to wake up, to blink open dark blue eyes, and then he cried. He cried as if the world was ending and he wanted to wake the dead ten miles away.

“Dear Merlin!” Alexander laughed, as Myron quickly popped the bottle teat into Max’s mouth to shut up the ear-piercing cries. “Loud? Harry actually managed to underestimate that little fact.”

“I think he was trying to wake up everyone in a ten-mile radius.” Aneirin agreed, chuckling. “He has a nice, healthy pair of lungs.”

“Told you he was loud.” A sleepy voice from the doorway told them.

Nasta swung around and immediately hurried over to lift Harry from his feet.

“You heard Healer Grant, Harry. He doesn’t want you walking about for a few days.”

Harry grunted. “Heard the baby crying.” He said as if that was answer enough. Considering that he was a submissive Dracken, perhaps it was.

“You knew we had Max in hand.” Myron told him sternly, still feeding the baby, who looked like a tiny doll in his massive, muscular arms.

“I didn’t stop and actually think about it.” Harry told them. “I heard my baby crying and just…I just got up and came to find him.”

“It’s okay, Harry, that’s just your instincts.” Alexander soothed, giving Myron a stern look for his harsh tone. “You’ve been looking after baby Max by yourself for four days, so of course when you heard him you would wake up and come to find him. He is well taken care of now though, so why don’t you let Nasta take you up to bed?”

Harry looked at the baby, who was feeding strongly in his father’s arms, and he smiled softly, before turning to look up at Nasta. “Okay, I am really tired still, so take me up to bed. But Max had better still have all of his fingers and toes in the morning!” He warned.

“We’re not going to cut the baby’s digits off, Harry.” Myron said, rolling his eyes.

“Be sure you don’t, because you’ll lose more than digits if he doesn’t still have them all!” Harry said. “Make sure he’s fed and dry too.”

“Yes, my love, go up to bed now.” Myron told him, giving Nasta a look that conveyed to him that he should just take Harry and go.

Nasta chuckled and turned, carrying Harry from the kitchen and up the stairs.

“Do you need anything now, Harry?” He asked.

Harry shook his head. “Normal function hasn’t resumed, so I don’t want food or drink, or the toilet. I’m just really tired, but damn, Nas, Max is so loud!”

Nasta fully laughed then. “Oh, we know, we’ve found out exactly how loud our sweet boy can be. Don’t worry about that.”

Nasta held Harry with one arm, and flung the duvet down, before gently lowering Harry into the big, four poster bed. He made sure that Harry was settled, before grabbing the duvet and tucking him back in.

“Thank you for completing our little family, Harry.”

Harry grunted and shifted a bit in the bed to get comfortable.

“You and Myron are perfect mates.” Harry answered. “You’re both a little bit too stern, and too strict, but I love you both anyway. Baby Max might be loud, but he’s perfect. He’s my baby, so everything about him is perfect.”

Nasta chuckled. “You’re rambling, Cariad.”

Harry grunted. “Tired.”

“Then just go to sleep. I promise Max will be well cared for and we’ll meet his every need, you’ve done your part for now, but you need to recover from giving birth. We love you.”

Harry seemed to have dropped off during Nasta’s speech, but the ending caught him, and those tired green eyes opened again and Harry gave him a dopey smile. “Love you.”

Nasta just shook his head, bent down and kissed Harry, and then left him to sleep. He went back to the kitchen, but everyone had migrated back to the living room while he’d been upstairs.

“You know if we want Harry to sleep through the night, we’ll have to sleep in a guest room or something.” Nasta pointed out as he walked in.

Myron stopped his gentle rocking of the baby, and opened his mouth to retort, only to shut it and think about the situation. He sighed as he realised what Nasta had. Harry needed to sleep to recover, but Max would wake him up the moment he started crying for a feed during the night, which would likely result in Harry trying to get up and walk again.

“I’m sure the third floor guest room will be far enough away that Harry won’t wake up.” Myron sighed.

“I was thinking of transfiguring the settee into a bed, Myron. That way it won’t take so long to make Max’s bottles.”

Myron nodded his agreement.

“Pass him here a moment then.” Alexander said. “I’ll take him to the kitchen so that you can safely perform magic and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

“I will as well.” Aneirin agreed. “I promised Sanex that I would tell him when Harry came out of his nest.”

“Can you tell Nerys and Idris as well?” Nasta asked him.

“Of course. I’ll tell everyone. I’ll make sure they leave you all in peace for a while, but don’t keep your brother waiting too long, he’s likely to break something.”

Nasta hugged his father, and then Aneirin was flooing out of their home, and Myron took out his wand to enlarge and transfigure the settee.

“I’ll sleep down here tonight, I want you to stay upstairs with Harry in case he wakes up or needs anything.” Myron commanded.

Nasta just nodded. “Then we’ll switch and I’ll sleep down here tomorrow night?”

Myron nodded. “Yes, but I want one of us with Harry at all times and one of us with Max at all times. That way we can look after them both.”

“Are you finished in there?” Alexander asked.

“Yes.” Myron answered.

Alexander carried the newborn back into the room and passed baby Max back to his father.

“You take care now, boys, you hear me? And for Merlin’s sake take care of Harry, the poor boy needs some love and care.”

“I’ve got everything well in hand.” Myron insisted. “Go and tell mum that Harry and the baby are home, and it has been confirmed that he is baby Maximilius.”

Alexander chuckled. “There was never any doubt with how attached you got Harry to the name. Don’t go thinking that every baby will be your choice though. Your mother only let me name a handful of you kids, and that was over fifteen years of mateship and child bearing.”

Myron smiled. “I’m pretty sure that Zerry thought he was my father from the way he acted towards me.”

Alexander snorted. “Xerxes was enamoured of all of you youngsters, but, yes, you were his favourite. He was thirteen when the quintuplets came, and he was very eager to dive in and help, but with you…he was fifteen. He was just five months away from his Dracken inheritance, and possibly becoming a father himself, and with you, I’m pretty sure he saw you as practice.”

Myron laughed at that. “I’m sure they all saw me as practice over the years.”

Alexander smiled and touched his youngest son gently.

“It’s your turn now.” He said, looking at baby Max in his father’s arms. “You know your mother and I are so pleased for you, and we’re damn proud that you actually managed to convince Harry to pick you as a mate, no matter how unconventional it was.”

“I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?”

“You had sex with him on your front lawn the same day you met him.” Alexander reminded him pointedly.

“I’d like to add in that he refuses to fix the damage that was done to the grass too.” Nasta said with a smirk.

“Everyone likes lawn ornaments.” Myron answered.

“Yeah, tacky garden gnomes with fishing rods, or little statues and bird baths, not torn up turf and furrows from passionate sex.”

“I’m keeping it.” Myron said stubbornly.

“Moving on from this topic of conversation.” Alexander cut in loudly. “What I’m trying to say is, look after Harry and Nasta, they’re good for you, and you’ll be good for them. I’m so glad that I’ve seen you happily mated, and a father yourself. Now if only my other Dracken children could be so lucky.”

“Their time will come. You raised us to be picky, to be fussy, I was just waiting for the perfect submissive to come along and he did. The others will find their perfect submissive too.”

“I hope so, Myron. I really do. It is Sandor I am most worried about. I can’t see another child go the same way as our Ben.”

“I’ll speak with him. He seemed fine over Christmas, but I’ll speak to him again and see where his head is at.”

Alexander hesitated, then nodded. “Don’t lose sight of your own mateship though, Myron. You’re a father now. Little Maxie has to come first. Harry and Nasta have to come first.”

“Believe me, they do.” Myron said firmly, his arm curling tighter around his newborn son.

Alexander nodded. “I’ll leave you to settle in, but your mother won’t be kept away by rampaging hippogriffs. She’s wanted to get her hands on this little one since Harry first announced that he was pregnant.”

Alexander left them be and Myron sat down on the converted bed and held Max close to his chest. Nasta sat next to him and smiled.

“Everything will work out.” He said, moving to touch some of Max’s black hair.

“I hope so.” Myron grumbled, freeing an arm and throwing it around Nasta.

Nasta allowed himself to be snuggled in a moment and they both just watched Max sleep.

“I’m going to fall asleep if I stay here.” Nasta insisted, sitting up suddenly. He turned and kissed Myron, who gripped the back of his head and deepened the kiss.

Nasta broke it with a hum, pulling back gently. “I definitely won’t be going upstairs if you carry that on.” He chuckled.

Myron smirked at him and pulled him into another, longer kiss.

“Go on, go and check on Harry.”

“You’re a fucking tease.” Nasta accused.

“Don’t you forget it either.” Myron said, giving Nasta a love tap to the arse with an open palm.

Nasta snorted, then bent down to kiss the baby.

“Your daddy is the biggest tease, Max.” He whispered to the sleeping baby, then kissed him again.

“You’ll put thoughts in his head.” Myron growled. “Go and sleep with Harry.”

Nasta grinned. “Oh, that would be my pleasure, you cock tease.”

Myron rolled his eyes and slumped backwards. “You and Harry will be the death of me.”

“Maybe, but what a way to go. Night.” Nasta said, giving him a wink as he left the room.

Myron shook his head, but he couldn’t hold back his smile any longer. It was good to have mates. It was good to have a family. His own little family at last.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

It took three more days before normal function started again for him. It was a relief to start eating and drinking again, and though the constipation was quite horrible, Harry just got on with it and took the potions needed to relieve that awful side effect.
He liked that the family were coming around to fuss over baby Max, he couldn’t help how his chest would puff up with pride, as stupid as it was, but everyone praised him, and baby Max too, who was now a full week old.
They had squeezed in as many visits as possible in the three days after he’d come out of his nest because tomorrow they were heading back to Hogwarts. Myron was going to Apparate them back to the school, as Harry didn’t really want to bother with the train, not so soon after giving birth. He’d rather have the extra time at home, then Apparate in later in the evening for the feast. Dumbledore had immediately agreed that he could stay at home a little longer, instead of taking the train because of how sore and tired he still was after giving birth.

“Do you have everything packed, love?” Nasta asked him.

Harry nodded, sitting up on the settee, his baby in his arms, just watching him sleeping. It was his favourite thing to do.

“Everything is packed, I finished my homework before Christmas and we have everything for Maxie packed. We’re done.” Harry said, looking up at his mate.

Nasta sat next to him and threw an arm around him. Harry tipped sideways slightly to rest on Nasta.

“I still say his eyes are going to go black. They’re getting darker by the day.” Harry said with a smile. “Jet black hair and jet black eyes. He’s going to be a heartthrob when he’s older.”

Nasta laughed at him and pulled his chin to get him into a kiss.

“He couldn’t be anything else with such a handsome mother and father.”

Harry blushed a little, then he whacked Nasta.

“Stop making me blush on purpose, you know I hate it.”

“I love it when you blush, though.” Nasta insisted.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Harry said, though he didn’t really want Nasta to leave him alone.

“No, Caru. I finished all of my paperwork an hour ago and I’ve already sent it off. I’m not due back at the reserve for three more days. You’ll just have to endure me until then.”

Harry grinned then. “I suppose I’ll have to.”

“Myron won’t be much longer either, you’ll have to endure us both.”

“What if his meeting goes badly?” Harry fretted.

“He would never take it out on you.” Nasta said immediately, taking in the fear lingering in Harry’s eyes.

Harry bit his lip and looked away, remembering Dobby ruining the Masons visit, and him getting blamed by the Dursleys.

“Harry, Myron would never hurt you, he’d never blame you for anything that wasn’t your fault, and he would never take his anger out on you, me, or our children. He’s so controlled, you would never even know that he was angry.”

That wasn’t true. Harry knew immediately when either of his mates were angry. It could be just a small clench of a fist, or the jaw, a tensing in the shoulders or back, or even a dark look in their eyes. Harry had learned to read the signs well and he always knew when they were angry. They didn’t hide it as well as they believed they did. Not from him.
He breathed out and the momentary fear passed. Myron and Nasta would never hurt him. He knew that. Still, he would be much happier, and relaxed, if Myron’s meeting had gone well. He hated the Dursleys sometimes.
Myron’s staff meeting had not gone well. He appeared calm and collected, but Harry could see the tension in those massive, broad shoulders, the slight clench in his jaw, and his eyes were all but raging.

“All finished?” Nasta asked casually.

Myron grunted, even as he sat at Harry’s other side and wrapped a thick arm around him. It was all Harry could do not to curl away from his mate.

“Those fools. I shouldn’t leave them in charge of anything. They couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery.”

“Will you cut your paternity short?” Nasta asked then.

“Of course not.” Myron said, his other hand coming to lay over baby Max. “Harry and Maximilius are everything to me right now. I have, however, made it very clear that if they don’t start putting in the effort, I will start firing people. They have been in that company since my father run it, they know how to run it properly, they know what to do, but because I’m not there to oversee them, they think it’s time to slack off and take a fucking holiday.”

Harry knew that Myron was very angry then. He hardly ever swore, and he usually told others off for it, but when he was very angry, he slipped into using foul language himself.

“Are you okay, Harry?” Myron asked him, feeling as Harry slid away from him a little.

Harry nodded quickly, but Myron could sense that something was wrong, and he pulled his arms back to himself.

“Harry, I would never hurt you.” Myron said calmly, easing away from his own anger.

“I know.” Harry said quietly.

Myron sighed. “You’re going to have to go for therapy, Harry. I know…”

“No! I’m not going!” Harry burst out.

“Harry, please.” Myron said. “You’ve just pulled away from me just because I was angry with the people I’ve left in charge for my paternity leave.”

“I know you won’t hurt us, it’s just…anger is difficult for me to…” Harry trailed off.

“This is why I want you to go for therapy, Harry. I want you to be freed of those people. They’re still controlling you with your display of fear. The things they have done to you are ingrained and I want you to be freed of them. Completely free of them. Please, say that you’ll speak to someone.”

“I want to forget about it.”

“You can’t, Harry. You can’t just forget about it.” Nasta said. “You’ll never be able to forget.”

Harry bit his lip. “I don’t have the time now with the exams coming up, and with Maxie too.”

“Your mental health is just as important, Harry. We’ll help you as much as we can, please.”

Harry chewed on his lip. “What if I don’t like it?”

“We’ll help you through it, Harry, but this needs to end. You need to be freed of their hold over you. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Nasta asked him.

Harry considered it. He tried to think of not being scared of his mates’ anger. He tried to imagine not being scared of the large cupboards in the house. He couldn’t do it. Maybe he did need therapy. The thought upset him.

“Will you help me?” He asked. “Will you find someone for me?”

“Of course.” Myron said immediately. “I’ll do this for you, Harry. I swear it.”

Harry breathed in deeply and shuddered. Immediately both of his mates held him from either side and he got a kiss to either cheek. That did make him smile, even as he held baby Max tighter.

“Okay.” He said under his breath, in an almost whisper.

“I’m proud of you.” Nasta told him, smiling. “This is a big step for you, we both know it, and I’m sure the both of us are proud of you.”

“We are.” Myron agreed, wrapping his arm back around Harry. He didn’t try to scoot away this time. Instead, he turned into Myron’s arms and rested on him.

“I didn’t realise that it was affecting me so much.” Harry said in a soft voice, looking up and out to the wall. He frowned as he thought of all the little ways that the Dursleys had changed him. Changed his behaviour.

“From what little you’ve alluded to, Harry, it was always going to affect you.” Nasta told him gently. “This isn’t a slight to you, but to them. They’re the monsters who hurt you.”

Harry stood up, trying to ignore that both mates automatically put a hand to his back to help him. He walked over to the bassinet and he gently laid Max into it and covered him over. If he was going to take a trip down memory lane with his mates about the Dursleys, then he didn’t want to do it over his newborn’s head. It was stupid, baby Max wouldn’t understand or even remember the talk, but still, Harry didn’t want to talk of his early life with Max in his arms.
He smoothed his hands over the knitted blanket that Mrs Weasley had made for him and he sighed, turning back around and going to slot himself back in between his mates.

“Are you okay?”

Harry sighed again and threw a hand through his hair, rumpling it worse than it already had been, seeing as he hadn’t brushed it at all today.

“I am, but I’m not. Does that make sense?” He asked, even knowing that it didn’t.

“Why don’t you tell us?” Myron offered diplomatically.

Harry sighed yet again, so heavily that his shoulders slumped.

“It was neglect more than anything.”

“Neglect is a form of abuse.” Nasta pointed out.

Harry looked up at him, then back at his hands.

“I suppose that’s fair.” He admitted. “I just…I knew that I was never welcome there. They made sure I knew that they didn’t even like me, let alone love me. I always knew I wasn’t welcome, they never let me forget that they had taken me in from the goodness of their hearts.” Harry scoffed at that. “As if there was any goodness in them. Dumbledore frightened them into taking me in and they resented it and they took it out on me.”

“What would they do?” Myron asked. His voice was deceptively calm. It was the sort of calm where he was beyond furious, but trying not to show it. Harry appreciated it, regardless that he still picked up on it.

Harry shook his head, not really knowing how to answer.

“If you can’t answer that, could you tell us what you feel is the worst thing they did to you?” Nasta asked.

“It’s not as black and white as that.” Harry said softly. “How can I say what was worse, or what was better? None of it should have happened and I sure as hell wouldn’t want Max to go through any of what I went through, so does that make all of it worse?”

“This is why we want you to see a therapist.” Myron told him carefully. “You need to talk this out with someone and we clearly aren’t up to the task, no matter how much we want to help you.”

“I don’t want you to feel badly about that.” Harry said worriedly. “I just can’t find any of the words I need to explain it.”

“That isn’t your fault either.” Nasta assured him. “This is a very personal, complex situation, Harry, and if you can’t find the words to describe such things, we understand. We just need to know that you’re speaking to someone, a professional about this, that you are being taken care of and that you’re healing from it.”

Harry took a deep breath and he nodded. “I will. I want to be my very best for Max. He deserves me at my best.”

“For you as well.” Myron said firmly. “You deserve to be your best for you. You’ve held onto all of this for too long already, it’s about time that you freed yourself from it all.”

Harry smiled at that and let out a massive, pent-up breath. He relaxed back into his mates, both of them, and tried to imagine what therapy would be like, what his therapist might be like and if he’d like them.

“Would you feel more comfortable with a male or female therapist?” Myron asked him.

Harry shrugged a bony shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. As long as they’re professional with me and can help…can get me through this, then I don’t care. I don’t like anger though. Anger is difficult for me to…anger makes me cringe.”

“We have noticed.” Nasta said gently. “That’s why we want you to see a therapist.”

Harry hesitated, then nodded and sunk into the embrace of both mates. “Find me a therapist and I’ll speak to them. I might not have all the words, but a good therapist should be able to read between the lines, right?”

“We will support you all the way.” Nasta assured him. “If you want to come home and shout and scream, we can take it. If you want to come home and burrow into our arms, we’ll hold you close and tight. If you want space, we’ll give it to you, anything you need, Harry, and we mean that seriously.”

Harry managed a small smile and brushed his eyes free of tears he hadn’t let fall.
Max became the distraction when he made a soft noise from his bassinet.

“He’ll be wet.” Harry said, as Myron leapt up and went to check on him.

Nasta stayed with him and wrapped both arms around him and let Harry snuggle in and Harry allowed himself to melt into his mate, watching as Myron sat on the floor to change baby Max.

“Can…will I be able to juggle Max and school with therapy as well? I’m in my NEWT year now.”

“Don’t back out five minutes after agreeing.” Nasta teased.

“I’m on paternity leave, Harry. I can take a full year off if needed.” Myron assured him. “Max will be well looked after.”

“We can both help you with classwork and homework, I assure you we’re far from stupid men.”

Harry managed a laugh at that. “No, I definitely went for brains with you two.”

“Brains last longer than looks.” Nasta teased.

Harry rolled his eyes, but he smiled too.

“A good thing that the two of you have both then.”

Myron came back over to them with baby Max, who was stubbornly keeping his eyes open.
His mate handed him the baby and Harry cuddled him protectively, bending slightly to kiss his little forehead.

“Have our rooms in Hogwarts been cleaned and sorted?” Harry asked, looking up at Myron.

“Yes, love.” Myron replied. “I’ve made sure that everything is perfect for you and baby Max.”

Harry settled and sat back a little, enjoying having his baby in his arms. They would be back in Hogwarts tomorrow evening and he wanted the peace while he could get it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Their first night back in Hogwarts was quiet. They had eaten at home and missed the welcome feast, but Harry hadn’t wanted to disturb baby Max with so much noise so late. With the train ride and the excitement from reuniting with friends not seen over the Christmas period the first night back at Hogwarts was always long and drawn out and Harry just wasn’t recovered enough for that.
It was the next morning that whispers and rumours started as Harry came down to breakfast with his two mates and a newborn in tow. He ignored it all as best as he could, clutching his baby protectively to his chest as he picked at his breakfast.

“Congratulations, Mister Potter.”

Harry looked up at the voice and smiled at Professor McGonagall, who had come over to greet him.

“Thank you, Professor.”

She smiled down at baby Max for a moment, then turned the smile onto him.

“Your parents would have been proud.” She told him, then moved on down the table.

Harry felt tears welling and Nasta moved to kiss him while Myron fished out a hanky from the pocket of his robes to wipe his eyes for him.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly, trying to wave them both away. “That was just unexpected.”

“What do you have first?” Nasta asked him, trying to distract him.

“Double Potions.” Harry said with a groan. He scowled in disgust. “Double Potions first thing in the morning, I won’t make it to break.”

Nasta chuckled. “We’ll be waiting in the courtyard for you with Max.”

Harry nodded glumly, even as his arm tightened around Max further. He didn’t want to hand him over, but he had been through all of this in his mind, and with his mates. He would see Max every opportunity he could get. Break times, lunch, and then he’d have all evening with his baby.
The first day, perhaps the first week, was going to be the most difficult, it would feel as if a part of him had been torn out being separated from his newborn so soon, but he trusted Myron and Nasta implicitly and he knew that he would get used to it. It would never get any easier, he knew, just easier to bear that pain of separation. He took a breath to calm himself down.

“You’re going to be brilliant.” Nasta told him, seeing his warring distress.

Harry nodded. “I just…I wish I could have been done with school first. I don’t want to give my all to our future children and then have to tell Max that I had little part in his formative year because I was in class, or doing homework.”

“That’s not going to be true.” Myron told him sternly. “Harry, you’re going to see him and care for him every single day. You will have classes, you will have homework and other commitments, but you’ll still be loving and caring for Maximilius.”

Harry looked up and saw the truth of that in Myron’s jet black eyes. He smiled and pulled his mate into a short kiss.

“I hope I can juggle it all.”

“You will because we’ll help you.” Nasta assured him. “We’re always going to be here for you. We’re a team now.”

“We’re more than a team.” Harry said softly. “We’re a family.”

“Besides. It’s not even going to be a full year.” Myron told him. “Your exams are in June and you graduate in July, that’s only five months away.”

Harry laughed then, a small amount of relief making him feel almost giddy. He wouldn’t be doing anything after his exams had been completed, he would just be waiting for the official end of term, and his graduation. He could deal with five months. They would be a hard five months because of his final exams and the revision he’d need to put in, but he could do it.
The bell rang and Harry’s newfound buoyancy evaporated, as the time came to be separated from baby Max. He held him tighter, gave him a kiss and slowly held him out to Nasta.

“Everything is going to be fine, Harry, you’ll see.” Nasta assured him.

“You can see him again in two hours.” Myron promised. “For now, go to your lessons.”

Harry nodded, gave Max yet another kiss, then kissed Nasta and turned to kiss Myron, who also gave him a tight hug.
It took another deep breath before Harry could turn from his mates and newborn and head off to the dungeons, and a double session of torturous potions.
He was already missing his mates and he wanted Max back in his arms. He felt distracted and incomplete, and his Dracken side started raising his head. He shoved all of that aside and focused on his lessons. If he could get through this double period then he could go to break and see baby Max in the courtyard for half an hour. It wouldn’t be nearly long enough for him, but it was all he was going to get, so he’d take it.
His countdown had started though. Five months, that’s all he had to survive in school, and then he could graduate and spend all day every day at home with Max, and any other babies who would come along. He smiled to himself and then applied himself to his work before Snape gave him a detention. It wasn’t very long at all, even though it would pass like an eternity. He could do this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

The amount of work he had to do had increased insurmountably. Harry was all but drowning under homework, as Myron and Nasta helped him, even as baby Max slept on his lap, his head being held securely by Harry’s knees.
Myron had also found him a therapist, a mind healer, in less than a week. A highly accredited mind healer, who had Dracken ancestors no less, named Sebastian Vasey. Harry was due to meet him tomorrow. Their ‘sessions’ were going to be held on the weekends, and maybe an hour or two during the week, in the evenings.
Harry was nervous, he couldn’t hide it, so it made no sense not to admit it.

“There you go, you’re done.” Myron told him, sitting back and stretching.

Harry put down his quill and did the same, stretching carefully to pop his spine, but not so much that he dislodged Max.

“Come on, baby Max.” Harry said cheerfully. “Homework is done, now we get to have a proper cuddle.”

“You deserve it.” Nasta told him, even as he started clearing up Harry’s things and putting everything away.

Myron had brought him a colour coded organiser, stating that it would make things easier now that they had Max, and every subject had an assigned colour. Harry watched as Nasta filed away his completed homework into each little coloured box and come Monday all Harry would have to do was look for the subjects he had that day and grab the contents from each coloured box and shove it into his book bag. Myron was right, it was so much easier to do that than look through every piece of parchment for the right homework. Merlin be thanked for CEO businessmen who were neurotic about organisation.
Max made a soft sound and Harry’s head snapped down to his baby and he gave a little subtle inhale to check for anything amiss. Nothing was and he relaxed again, slowly sinking back into the settee.

“He’s getting a little more vocal now.” Nasta said, smiling.

Harry nodded, also smiling.

“I can’t wait to hear his little voice in something that isn’t a cry.” Harry chuckled.

“A while to wait then.” Nasta teased right back.

“He has a healthy pair of lungs. No matter the noise he makes I am thankful for his cries.” Myron told them.

Harry gave a look to Nasta and rolled his eyes, making Nasta smile and then turn.

“Hold him for me a moment, I need the bathroom.” Harry said, passing Max over to his father.

Myron took the baby and the look of love and adoration on his face made Harry completely unable to look away, or move away. Instead, he went to Myron and kissed him, leaning against him.

“Are you okay, Harry?” Myron asked him, turning away from Max to look at him.

Harry kissed him again and then pulled back a little, smiling.

“I’m fine. I love you.” Harry told him.

“I love you as well.” Myron assured him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Harry nodded and then went for his wee. He was so happy, almost fit to bursting. He was so happy with both of his mates, with his baby. His Dracken purred in his head at Harry’s thoughts.
Being back in school was difficult, but he was getting through it. Myron was a massive help, as he was a very intelligent man. Nasta was too. He smiled to himself as he washed his hands. He had chosen his mates perfectly. He had definitely gone for intelligence with them both…handsomeness too, he thought with a cheeky, naughty grin to himself.
He went back out into their living area and he took baby Max straight back off of Myron, but his mate tugged him to sit beside him and wrapped a large, comforting arm around him. Harry happily snuggled in with the baby.
There was a kiss pressed to the top of his head and Harry felt complete. Or he did when Nasta came back over to them, handed him a cup of honey tea, and then sat on his other side.
He looked between them both, smiling, then down to the baby in his arms. He had never been as happy in his life as he had in this moment, school and homework be damned.

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The exams had been the worst time for him and he was very stressed when attempting to struggle through each question and he missed Maxie terribly when he was in back to back exams.
Therefore it was a massive relief when he finished his final exam and he was allowed to put his quill down.
He hadn’t rushed quite so much since before he’d fallen pregnant when he scooted back his chair and ran out to find his mates in the entrance hall as soon as his year mates were told that they could leave.

“Harry, by here.” Myron called out and then caught him as Harry rushed over, a wide grin on his face.

“We survived the five months, Caru.” Nasta told him, a five month old baby Max in his arms.

Harry clutched at Myron tighter in joy. There was nothing more that he could do now. He had finished his last exam and now he just had to wait for his graduation.
He had started his therapy sessions with Healer Vasey and Harry had found him so very easy to talk to after the initial first few sessions of anxiousness and nervousness. The man had a way of making Harry feel at ease, of wanting to talk about the most painful parts of his life. Once Harry had settled and had gotten used to talking, the flood gates had opened and he spilled everything to Healer Vasey, who talked him through everything and helped him to work through it all.
Harry had never felt lighter, he had never felt better than he did right now, and it was honestly a relief to know that tomorrow would be better, and not worse. It took so much heaviness from him, from his mind, and he was now settling with his mates properly.
Despite that he had confided very little with them, he still found it difficult to voice those horrors to them for some reason, but neither of them pressed him.

“I’m so happy.” He told them.

“Let us go and sit in the sun.” Nasta told him. “We could use the fresh air.”

“I definitely could. I’m as dusty as the library.” Harry joked.

“In that case…”

Myron wrapped an arm around him and they headed out of the hall, into the grounds.
There were already students swarming the grounds, taking full advantage of the sunny weather. They managed to find a spot close to the lake and Harry settled down on the lush grass and held his arms out for his chunky baby.

“Ma ma.” Max named him and Harry gave his baby his very best grin, staring at those jet black eyes until Max was distracted by Myron grunting as he sat down.

“You’re getting old.” Harry teased.

Myron gave him an unimpressed look.

“I’ll have you know that it’s not my age but my height.” Myron told him.

“Sure thing, old man.”

Nasta snorted a laugh, then pretended to be engrossed in Max.

“Come here.” Myron said, before pulling Harry into a deep kiss.

Harry chuckled and then kissed Myron’s lips again.

“I still love you, even with your creaking knees.”

“Only when my creaking knees are hitting the bedroom floor.” Myron told him.

“Or any room where I’m spread out before you.”

Myron gave him a devilish smirk. Nasta did the same, but Harry tugged Max, now a healthy, hefty weight, back into his lap and he kissed his baby’s head.

“Dad dad.” Max named Nasta, reaching out a chubby hand to clench into Nasta’s cheek.

“Oh, Maxie, don’t do that to your poor daddy.” Harry said, carefully easing Max’s little fingers from Nasta’s skin.

“His nails are freshly cut, so he’s safe.” Nasta laughed. “Though his grip is getting very strong.”

Harry inhaled the fresh air deeply, and while keeping a secure arm around Max, he tipped his head back to look into the cloudless sky. He smiled and felt the stress ebb out of him.

“Your graduation will be in a few weeks and then we can leave Hogwarts for home.” Nasta told him as if reading his mind.

“I’ve missed home.” Harry said softly, tipping his head back down to look at his two mates. “There was a time when Hogwarts was the only home I had, but now that I have you both…it’s different now with you both, with our baby Max. I just want to go back home.”

“We’ll be home soon, I promise.” Myron told him. “As soon as you’ve graduated, we’ll floo home from Dumbledore’s office. Are you sure you don’t want to go back via the train?”

Harry shook his head. “No. It takes too long. I just want to go home.”

“It could be the last chance you have to ride it, Harry.” Nasta told him, playing devil’s advocate.

“I understand that, but…” Harry trailed off and thought about what he wanted to say. “I just want to be home, with you and our baby. I don’t want to be stuck on a train for several hours, I want to be home, in my own space, where all four of us are relaxed and comfortable.”

“Then we’ll go straight home after you’ve graduated.” Myron said decisively.

Harry smiled at them and bent his head to nuzzle into baby Max’s jet black hair. His exams were over, a few weeks more and all exams would be finished and then those who were seventh years would have a graduation ceremony and they would leave Hogwarts for, what would be for many of them, the final time.
He wasn’t upset though. He had a purpose in life. He had his mates, his son. He had a family and they meant everything to him.
He smiled automatically and went back to fussing over Maxie. His life at Hogwarts was coming to an end, but the rest of his life was only just beginning and he couldn’t wait for it. He was so excited to see what the future had in store for him. So no, he would miss Hogwarts, but he had his memories to look back on, but now it was time to look and forge ahead. There was so much to look forward to and it was a good sign that he was excited for it. He just needed to get through his graduation ceremony first.

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Harry was sat in the baking sun, in his best set of Gryffindor robes, the proud lion emblazoned on his chest.
He and his classmates were seated alphabetically so Harry was between Sally-Ann Perks and Lisa Turpin, but his mind was in the crowd seated on the other side of the Quidditch pitch, where Myron and Nasta were sat with his baby Maxie, waiting for him.
He smiled and clapped politely with everyone else as another student collected a diploma after having all her achievements to date read out. He just wanted this to be over with already. He just wanted to leave and go home.
The graduation ceremony took nearly all day starting from nine in the morning, just after breakfast; and people were just sat waiting for their own name to be called, and the adults on the other side were waiting for their relative to be called.
It was a boring wait for his own name to be called as they went through the Ns and then the P’s until Dumbledore said those magic words that had everyone sitting up straighter and straining their hearing.

“Harry James Potter, Gryffindor, Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team for seven years, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for two years. Eight OWL results, Tri-wizard champion, Defence Alliance instructor and receiver of a special award for services to the school and an order of Merlin: first class for services to the wizarding world.”

Harry walked up to raucous clapping and screeches from the crowd, both adults and students alike, but he was very glad that Dumbledore had left off the Boy-Who-Lived title and The Chosen One, or Merlin forbid he had put in the defeater of Voldemort. He would have died from the embarrassment of it, but as it was he couldn’t keep the grin from his face.
Harry smiled at Dumbledore as he collected his sheet of parchment that proved that he had attended Hogwarts and had successfully graduated.

“Well done, Harry, I’ll be sad to see you leave.” Dumbledore told him, laying a hand on his narrow shoulder.

“You can come around to visit us any time you like, Sir and I mean that. I would love to carry on our little chats over tea as the kids play about our feet.”

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded. “I look forward to it, my boy; I very much look forward to it.”

Harry walked down the stairs again, waved to Myron and Nasta, getting a glimpse of baby Max and his wild black hair and he just wanted to walk over to them and leave now that it was done, but he couldn’t as he retook his seat and then sat studying his diploma, with all of his achievements and what they were listed down the paper. As soon as his N.E.W.T exam papers were graded then his diploma would automatically update and would then list any and all of his achievements through the years until he died. It was a very clever piece of magic.
Harry distracted himself through the rest of the ceremony by looking at his diploma, and by repeatedly telling himself that he would be home as soon as this was over. He clapped politely every time someone else received their diploma, but otherwise, he was back to being very bored.
Finally, it was over and the last person received their diploma and Dumbledore said goodbye to them for the last time as students of Hogwarts and then welcomed them all to the school grounds as adults. Harry threw his pointed hat into the air with the rest of his year group and then without waiting to collect it again he rushed off to go and find his family.
He found Myron easily, at nearly seven foot tall, he was very easy to spot and Harry darted his way between bodies and reuniting people to bowl right into him, holding him around the middle and resting his chin on that strong chest as he grinned up at him.

“I’m so proud of you.” Myron said gruffly, ruffling his hair.

“We both are.” Nasta assured him, holding baby Max, who squirmed and reached out for him.

“Ma ma.” Max named him and Harry took his baby and gave him a big smooch, smiling to hear baby giggles.

“It’s finally over, I can’t believe I’ve actually graduated!”

“You can say goodbye to your year mates now for a bit, and then we’ll go home.” Myron told him.

Harry nodded, but he didn’t really want to say goodbye to any of them. Instead, he soaked in the atmosphere of the joy and happiness of his peers. There had been a time when he didn’t think that he would make it this far, so to be stood here at all was an achievement all its own.
He looked up at Nasta and Myron, then down to Max and his smile widened to a full on dorky, lopsided grin. These were his family and he couldn’t wait to properly start his life now.

“Let’s go.” He said.

“Are you sure?” Myron asked him.

Harry nodded firmly. “Yes. I want to go home, My.”

His mate nodded and wrapped an arm around him and together they moved away from the Quidditch pitch and back to the castle. They were going to floo from Dumbledore’s office and very soon he would be home. He couldn’t wait to be home.

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Things had changed so much in a few short years. Harry was so happy as everything settled into place for him. Home was now his base nest in his mind and he loved being there. Home for him meant peace of mind, relaxation, happiness and family. This was his safe place, his favourite place in the world.
He continued to see his mind healer, Sebastian Vasey, who was helping him through every aspect of his past trauma and his future worries and Harry was feeling the best he ever had.
His baby Max, who was no longer a baby, rushed past him on thick, strong legs and Harry watched him go, even as he rested with the new baby, birthed just a week ago. They had named the baby boy Taliesin, Taliesin Morgan Delericey.

“Maxie, sweetheart, watch your head.” Alexander called out, rushing after his grandson and stopping the twenty-eight month old from hitting his head against the window as he climbed the windowsill.

Max was tall for his age. He was big like his father, Myron. Many people were shocked to hear that he was only two years old when they asked after him.
Taliesin was Nasta’s baby, so now his mates were both one apiece and once again Harry had gone overdue. It was unusual that a submissive went overdue, especially one as physically damaged as he was, but Harry had always done the impossible. He would rather his babies go overdue than come too soon.
Taliesin made a soft sound and Harry’s attention snapped down to him, and he stroked the baby’s back gently, inhaling carefully to check for anything that might have disturbed Taliesin. He had only come out of his nest a few days ago and he was still a little off, but his instincts were all about his two babies.

“Are you okay?” Nasta asked him, reaching over to stroke his hair.

“Yeah.” Harry said, croaking a little. “We’re both okay. Still a little sore.” He admitted.

“The healers have given you painkillers for a reason, Cariad.” Nasta reminded him. “Please take one?”

Harry nodded his agreement. The pain was getting a little worse than was comfortable. He didn’t really like taking the potions, they made his mouth feel cotton dry and he wasn’t really eating or drinking anything yet, so he was rinsing his mouth with water and spitting it back out, but it helped a little. He couldn’t wait until normal function resumed and he could have a nice cup of tea. Maybe then he could take his potions without too many of the awful side effects.

“Mama, baby.” Max said, pointing to his new brother.

“Do you want to see your brother, Max?” Harry asked.

Max nodded and Harry shuffled forward. He would have had to move to take the potion anyway, so he grimaced his way through it.
Taliesin had been a big boy too, only an ounce shy of his big brother Max, at nine pounds and five ounces. Taliesin had the same long limbed look to him too, they were both going to be big, tall boys.

“Hi, baby.” Max said softly, before cupping his brother’s tiny head in gentle hands and mouthing a wet kiss over Taliesin’s face. Harry laughed at them, reaching out to stroke through Max’s jet black hair, smiling into jet black eyes.

Taliesin also had black hair, but it had taken a little more of Harry’s wildness and it was currently a thick, damp halo of hair all around his head. His eyes were very blue, so it was a toss-up of whether they would take Harry’s green, or Nasta’s strange mix of hazel, green and gold.
Max was gone as soon as he came and Nasta handed him a pain potion in a small tumbler glass. Harry knocked it back in one large, painful swallow and grimaced at the bitter taste lingering on his tongue.

“I brought you some water.” Nasta assured him, handing that over too. “You can spit in the glass.”

Harry did just that, still not really feeling the urge to drink or eat. He would be rinsing and spitting his mouth for an hour or more, until the cotton dry feeling went away. He wished his body wanted a drink at least.
Myron came into the room and he immediately sought out Harry, coming over and hunching in front of him.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“Sore, but Nas just gave me more potion, so it should ease off soon.”

Myron stroked through his hair and then over his face and Harry smiled at him, what was probably a very goofy smile given the strong painkiller he’d just taken, but his mate just bent forward and kissed him soundly.

“Daddy!”

Max came charging back over, all endless energy that never ran out, no matter how many times they let him run riot or took him to the park or the soft play.

“Maximilius.” Myron said, sweeping him up and hugging him tight, but Max fought against him, twisting in his hold and arching his back.

“Daddy, look…the baby!” Max insisted.

“I can see baby Taliesin.” Myron assured Max, even as he turned their two year old around to see better.

“Sweet baby.” Max said with a little grin, reaching forward and kissing Taliesin again. The newborn screwed up his face and frowned in his sleep.

“Gently, Max.” Myron encouraged.

Max immediately softened his touch and Taliesin’s frown eased and he snuffled softly before relaxing once more.

“Do you love your brother, Max?” Harry asked.

“Yeah.” Max said.

Max was gone then, squirming in Myron’s hold until he let him go and then he was charging back across the room to his toys, where he’d left his granddad Alexander, and Harry allowed his mates to ease him back in the chair to rest some more himself.
He got twin kisses to his cheek and temple, at almost the same time, and it made him smile and let out a scratchy laugh.

“Let us know if you need anything, Harry.”

Harry hummed and went back to staring at his new baby. It had been a wonderful two years for him. He had grown so much and he absolutely loved running around after Max. He hadn’t been able to do so in the last few months, because he’d been heavily pregnant, but now he was going to be running around after his two boys and he couldn’t wait.
Since he had graduated he had gotten a part-time job for himself, working in the library a short walk away. Harry had been taking Max there since his son was old enough to enjoy having stories read to him and could be trusted not to chew on the books, or otherwise damage them. Harry knew all of the librarians and got on well with them, and they knew him and Max by name too, so when a vacancy had come up he had been offered a part time job and he had taken it.
Now he could take Max with him to work when Myron and Nasta were working, it wasn’t a problem. It gave Harry a small dose of independence and got him out of the house a bit too, which was a very good thing. Healer Vasey thought so too, and truthfully Harry loved going to work. He had offered some suggestions to the head librarian, a lovely woman named Carla, and now they had a book club going, which had attracted several very lonely, elderly people who wanted some company and had now made friends, and Harry himself spent two afternoons a week reading storybooks to toddlers, including Max. There was talk of setting up a craft club too, so that people could come in and learn a new craft, like knitting or crochet in one of their quiet corners.

“Nas, can you take the baby for me?” Harry asked.

Nasta took Taliesin from him, and offered his arm, knowing that Harry wanted to get up…he wouldn’t have let go of the baby otherwise.
Harry let Nasta pull him to his feet, and he went to the bathroom to see if the twinge he’d felt was normal function resuming. He hoped so, he wanted that tea.
Harry was smiling as he exited the bathroom, hurrying to his mates.

“Are you okay?” Myron asked concernedly.

“Yeah, normal function is returning!” He said excitedly.

“Do you want that tea?” Nasta asked with a smile, easing Harry back into the nest of blankets that they’d made for him to keep him comfortable as he recovered.

Harry nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. I might not drink all of it, but it’ll be nice to have a bit of it.”

“You look very buoyant.” Alexander told him, having chased down a giggling Max.

“I’ve finally managed to have a pee, I think maybe from all of those potions I’m taking, so I’m going to try to have a cup of tea.”

“It never takes very long for normal function to resume, a few days, certainly less than a week after you come out of your nest.”

Harry nodded, being back in a home environment certainly helped ease back all of his Dracken instincts, allowing his human side to emerge, but the digestive tract was always the last thing to come back over from the nesting period.
Nasta brought him his cup of tea and Harry happily sipped on it. The urge to drink wasn’t strong, but it was at least there.

“I love you looking so happy.”

Harry chuckled. “I can taste the tea, the sweetness of the honey. It’s one of my favourite things.”

Nasta kissed him again, on the side of the head, and then sat just watching him. Harry didn’t mind as he sipped some more.
He didn’t even drink half the cup, but it was so nice to just have something, a little taste of his usual tea. He was very happy as he rested back and dozed in his makeshift nest of blankets and cushions.
He woke up slowly and he blinked a few times before he realised where he was. He was in bed with one of his mates…Nasta by the feel of him. He yawned and stretched a little. This had happened a few times now, usually after he’d taken one of the strong painkillers. The potions could knock him out for several hours and it seemed that was exactly what it had done.
He carefully slipped out of bed and went to the en suite to splash some water on his face. Despite how long he had been asleep, and the little bit of tea he’d had, he had no urge to use the toilet, so he just left the bathroom and went to find Myron, who he knew from past experience with Max that he would be sleeping in the living room with their newborn Taliesin.
Myron was fast asleep, with baby Taliesin in a bassinet safely within reach of his top dominant. Harry smiled at them both. Myron growled in his sleep the moment Harry stepped into the room and Harry let out a soft purr, letting his top dominant know that he wasn’t a threat, that it was just his submissive entering his space.
Myron settled immediately at his soft purr and Harry went to tuck him in, pulling up his blanket and giving him a kiss, before turning and stealing the baby from the bassinet. He went through to the kitchen and placed Taliesin gently into the kitchen bassinet and he quietly made himself a cup of tea.
The living room was far enough away from the kitchen that Myron wouldn’t hear the kettle, or Taliesin crying, who was not as loud as his older brother Max had been as a newborn.
Harry sipped on his tea, enjoying the taste, even though he wasn’t really thirsty. He hoped that that would change later today, once he woke up a little.
He checked the time and it was early, just four in the morning. He had slept for ten hours after the potion, it was no wonder he felt so heavy…and refreshed. He smiled to himself and cradled the cup in his hands. He was so happy. He had never expected that he could be so happy in his life, but here he was.
Harry looked at Taliesin and smiled at his perfect little face. His Dracken preened a little at their shared thoughts. They both believed that their baby was beautiful and perfect.

“Harry, what are you doing up?” Myron asked as he came into the kitchen, his massive shoulders relaxing from their tensed position.

“I fell asleep before five in the afternoon, Myron. Of course I’m awake early.” Harry teased. “I was hoping that you would sleep a little longer though.”

Myron gave him a smile and came to wrap his arms around him, laying a kiss to his hair.

“I have gotten used to scheduling around Taliesin. He’ll be waking up for a bottle in about half an hour, so I wake up now to prepare it so that it’ll be ready to drink when he wakes up.”

Myron did just that, going to the kettle to boil it again, getting the bottle ready and a mug for himself.

“Do you want another cup of tea?”

Harry shook his head. “No, thanks. I didn’t really want this one…I wasn’t thirsty I mean, I just wanted the taste.”

“I understand.” Myron assured him.

“It’s nice to try and get back to normal.” Harry insisted.

“I know it’s difficult, but try not to rush it.” Myron told him, as he made up the bottle and cup of coffee for himself. “Complications can come from rushing your body before it’s ready.”

“I know.” Harry assured his mate. “But I have peed a few times now, and I did want something to drink yesterday. It is coming back, I’m not rushing it.”

“That’s good.” Myron told him, sitting beside him and wrapping a massive, powerful arm around him.

Harry curled automatically into him, absorbing the peace and comfort that came from doing so. He turned his head just slightly to rest his face against Myron’s body.

“Comfortable?” Myron asked him.

“Yes.”

Myron gave him a small smile and turned to kiss his head, before going back to his coffee. It wasn’t long before Taliesin started stirring though, and just as Myron swallowed the last drop of coffee the baby woke with a cry in his throat.

“Stay sat down.” Myron told him, as Harry’s body jumped at the first cry, urging him to go to the baby and sort out his needs, but Myron’s heavy hand kept him in place. “I have him.” He assured him. “You should be resting.”

“It’s instinct.” Harry pointed out.

“Try to fight it so that you can rest, love.”

Harry nodded and instead watched as Myron cradled Taliesin in just one arm, the baby looking like a tiny doll in those massive arms. The bottle was checked and then offered to the newborn, who latched and suckled strongly.

“He’s as good an eater as our Max.” Myron praised.

“He’s going to grow just as well.” Harry said surely.

Myron shared a smile with him, before going back to the baby. Taliesin wasn’t as urgent as Max had been when feeding, he was a little more relaxed and slower, but rarely did either of their boys leave anything still in the bottle.
The baby was winded and then placed back down in the bassinet and Harry held a little hand and babbled to the baby, who was still awake for a little while.
Taliesin did eventually settle into a milk coma, and not long after Nasta came down carrying Max.

“Mummy, I came to look for you.” Max told him.

“Did you wake up Daddy Nasta?” Harry asked, pretending to be stern, but he couldn’t keep the smile from his mouth.

“Wanted you.”

Harry took Max from Nasta, who all but settled their big boy onto Harry’s lap before letting go.
Max snuggled into him and Harry wrapped both arms around him, resting his chin on that jet black hair.

“I love you.” Harry told the two year old.

“Love you, Mummy.”

Harry hummed happily and wrapped Max up tighter in his arms, stroking his back and head.
Nasta gave Taliesin a gentle touch before he made himself green tea, Myron another coffee and then set to work on making Max his morning porridge.

“Max, breakfast.”

Max turned at the mention of food and Harry gave him a last kiss, even as he lamented the end of the cuddle as Max couldn’t move off his lap and into his chair fast enough. When he first woke up was when Max was at his cuddliest, he never stayed still long enough during the day.
Instead, Harry watched as Max demolished the bowl of warm porridge, sprinkled with a little nutmeg and some freshly sliced banana.
Their day properly started then, as Max ate his breakfast and Myron took him to clean up and get dressed and Nasta helped Harry into the living room with the baby.

“I’m not as sore today.” Harry said with a smile.

Nasta gave him a kiss, the scruff on his chin scratchy. “It won’t be much longer and you’ll be running around after Max again.”

“I can’t wait.” Harry insisted, even as he rubbed his hands through Nasta’s almost-beard.

“I’ll shave when Myron and Max finish up.”

Harry hummed and rubbed Nasta’s chin through his hands some more. “I can’t believe you shaved yesterday.” He giggled.

“I know, I know.” Nasta chuckled. “I don’t even understand it sometimes.”

“My sexy, virile mate.” Harry purred.

Nasta snorted a laugh but did kiss him again. “Let yourself rest before you go purring on us.”

Harry just grinned, wondering how long it would be before his mates snapped. They both had a steel control over themselves, but not even they could last out his charms for long.
Max came charging back into the room, cleaned up and dressed, and he went straight for his toys. Harry smiled as he watched him, as he was suddenly sandwiched between both of his mates, one to either side of him. He inhaled deeply, scenting his mates, his babies, his home. He had everything he needed right here and he was so very happy with his little family. They were everything that he’d always needed.

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The Dracken Memoirs